US Federal loans
This guide provides information on applying for a US federal loan as a new or continuing student. The loan types, borrowing limits and eligibility criteria are set by the US Department of Education and any changes are beyond the University's control.
Looking down the High Street. Credit: Ruoyi Wang / Graduate Photography Competition
Eligibility for US federal loans
You must meet the criteria set by the US Department of Education on the Federal Student Aid website in order to be eligible for US federal loans. In addition to this you must also meet all of the following:
Criteria
How much can I borrow?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into US law in July 2025, and this will result in changes to federal student aid for those studying in the 2026/27 academic year. The information below is subject to change based on any further updates from the US Department of Education Federal Student Aid website.
The type of loan and the amount you may be able to borrow is dependent on when you enrolled in your course at Oxford, and whether you are a graduate or undergraduate student. You must complete the federal Cost of Attendance (COA) form to determine the exact amounts you are eligible to borrow in the relevant academic year. The COAs are available in the How to apply section of this page.
Dates
How to apply
Before starting the application process please ensure you have read the information provided in the eligibility and how much can I borrow sections above and direct any questions to the US loans team.
Firstly make a note of your college code
Your college code will be required for the FAFSA and throughout the application process so please make a note of it before you begin. If you have not yet been allocated a college place, please do not start your US loan application.
List of college codes
Dates
Receiving and managing your US federal loan
Receiving and managing your US federal loan
Payment of federal loans are made in equal termly instalments by bank transfer to your college. The US Department of Education stipulates that loans must be paid in equal instalments. Although it is standard practice to invoice students for all fees at the beginning of the academic year, special dispensation is made for federal loan takers and your college will normally arrange for your fees to be paid in termly instalments that correlate with your US loan payments.
You must be fully enrolled before your funds can be requested from the US. If you have not completed your enrolment in time at the start of term your loan payment will be postponed to the next scheduled adhoc disbursement date. Further information on enrolment can be found on the Guide to registration webpage.
Receiving and managing your US federal loan
Changes affecting your loan
You must contact us ([email protected]) if any of the below occur or may occur. Contact us immediately and in advance of the change where possible.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
To be eligible for US federal student loans, a student must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP). To assess SAP you will be sent a form for your supervisor to complete confirming you have made satisfactory academic progress for your course. For courses lasting 12 months or less SAP will be evaluated once per term; for those on programmes lasting more than 12 months SAP will be evaluated in Trinity term. Please note that your form must be returned by the deadline given, otherwise it may cause any upcoming disbursements to be postponed until such time as your SAP form has been completed. More information on SAP can be found on our consumer information and policies page.
Repayment and deferment
Repayment of your federal loan is arranged directly through your loan servicer. We recommend you keep in contact with your loan servicer to ensure your loan repayment information is up-to-date. You must notify them of:
- Anything that affects your ability to repay your loan;
- Any changes in your status, including course completion or if you do not enrol for the period covered by your loan; and
- Any changes to your personal details, such as name, address, phone number.
Your student loan must be repaid and you risk going into default if you do not make repayments as required by your loan servicer. Federal Student Aid offers guidance on understanding repayments and default.
| Loan type | How do repayments work? | When do repayments start? |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Subsidized | No interest or payments required as long as you are enrolled on an eligible course at least half-time. | Usually six months (known as the 'grace period') after your course finishes or you become less than half-time. |
| Direct Unsubsidized | No payments required as long as you are enrolled on an eligible course at least half-time. Interest accrues whilst you are studying. | Usually six months (known as the 'grace period') after your course finishes or you become less than half-time. |
| Graduate PLUS or Parent PLUS | No payments required as long as the student is enrolled on an eligible course at least half-time. Interest accrues whilst studying. | Repayment period begins on the date of the final disbursement. Unless you receive a deferment or forbearance, the first payment will be due within 60 days of the final disbursement date. |
Information on making an early repayment to your loan servicer can also be found on the Receiving your loan section of this page.
Deferring your US federal loan
Current loan takers
If you are taking US federal loans at Oxford in the current academic year, we will automatically report your enrolment on NSLDS so that repayment of previous US student loans can be deferred.
Non-loan takers
If you are not taking US federal loans in the current academic year, please complete the NSLDS deferment request form if you would like the US loans team to report your enrolment on NSLDS. If you are a new student you will be unable to complete this form until you have been provided with your Single Sign On (SSO) account details by Oxford, and you must be showing as enrolled on the student system before we can add you to NSLDS.
Federal loan servicers are required by federal law to use NSLDS and enrolment information is sent to them on a weekly basis. NSLDS is also accessed by the US Department of Education to obtain student enrolment information. Your NSLDS record will be updated and checked every two months.
If you have previously borrowed a loan through a private lender that does not use NSLDS and would like us to complete a paper deferment form, please email the US loans team with a copy of the required form, ensuring you have first completed any sections to be filled out by the borrower.
Students enrolled on part time courses will usually need to be enrolled at a half time pace or greater to qualify for deferment with most loan servicers. If you are less than half time and are unsure as to whether you are eligible to defer your previous loans, by having your enrolment reported in NSLDS, we would recommend reaching out to your loan servicer for guidance.
