Direct Loans for Americans (undergraduate)

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a Direct Loan to study with us, you must:

• be a US citizen
• be physically present at the University of York for your studies
• be continuously enrolled at least half-time at the University of York
• make satisfactory academic progress during your course: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy (PDF , 131kb)

Are all courses eligible for Direct Loans?

The following types of courses are not eligible for Direct Loans:

• courses which are less than half-time
• courses which are not degree-bearing
• courses at the Hull York Medical School
• courses in Nursing or Midwifery
• online courses
• courses with any period of study outside the UK (with limited exceptions).

If your course is not eligible for a Direct Loan, you may be able to take out a private loan instead.

Direct/Title IV loans

The Federal Student Aid website has detailed information on borrowing under the Direct Loans programme.

If you're enrolling on an undergraduate course which is eligible for Direct Loans, you can be considered for:

• A Subsidised Loan awarded based on financial need. The US government subsidises the interest on these loans. The amount of Subsidised Loan that you are eligible for depends on:
  
  • your Student Aid Index (SAI) (your family do not have to provide you with the SAI amount - it is only used to determine how much Subsidised Loan you are eligible to receive)
  • any existing loan amounts.
• An Unsubsidised Loan not based on financial need. The interest rate is reviewed annually. The amount available will depend on:
  
  • any existing loan amounts
  • whether you are classed as a dependent or independent student.
• A Parent PLUS Loan to cover the remainder of the costs of attendance. This is subject to a credit check. A Parent PLUS loan is only available to students classed as dependent. 
• Pell Grants - Students studying at a foreign school are NOT eligible for a Pell Grant. More information is available on the Federal Student Aid website.

Private loans

If Direct Loans are not available, or don't fully cover your costs of attendance, you may be able to apply for a private loan.

Regardless of the type of loan(s) you choose, you can borrow up to your calculated cost of attendance. We calculate this based on your estimated living, study and travel expenses for the academic year, plus one year's tuition fees.

These figures are provided as an indication of the maximum amount available. Your cost of attendance will vary based on a number of factors:

• the tuition fees for your course
• which year of your course you will be studying
• the total length of your course
• previous loans
• whether you are in receipt of any other financial aid, eg sponsorship, scholarships or bursaries.
• your choice of accommodation

Undergraduate fixed cost of attendance

The figures below are based on an undergraduate student living in either University on-campus accommodation or in private, off-campus accommodation. For 2025/26, the accommodation costs used in the Cost of Attendance for living in on-campus and off-campus accommodation have been calculated to have approximately the same average cost, this may change in future years. For students living with parents, their cost of attendance will vary.

Course duration	Year of study	Cost of attendance
3 years	1st	£21,896 + Tuition
4 years+	1st	£22,672 + Tuition
3 years+	2nd+	£17,740 + Tuition

These amounts do not include origination fees of 1.057 per cent on Unsubsidised Loans and 4.228% on PLUS Loans for 2025/26. These are deducted by the US Department of Education before loans are disbursed.

What other considerations are taken into account when calculating the cost of attendance?

Part-time study

The costs of attendance quoted above are for students studying full time. If you intend to study part-time, please contact Student Financial Support for further information.

Borrowing more than the fixed cost of attendance - Professional Judgement Policy

In limited circumstances, you may be able to borrow more than the fixed cost of attendance. In situations where the Student Aid Index (SAI) and/or cost of attendance (COA) does not accurately reflect a student’s financial situation, the law allows the Financial Aid Administrator (FAA) to make reasonable adjustments on a case-by-case basis, to reflect a student’s situation more accurately.

This professional judgement (PJ) authority can be found in Section 479A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This authority allows the FAA to use discretion to make appropriate, reasonable adjustments to reflect a student’s situation more accurately. 

If you have special or unusual circumstances in which you would like to be considered for PJ, please email the Student Financial Support Team (sfsu@york.ac.uk)  at the University of York.

See the Professional Judgement (PJ) Policy - Direct Loan/Federal Aid for more information.

Dependency Status 

Your dependency status determines whose information you must report when you fill out the FAFSA form.

• If you are a dependent student, you will report your and your parents’ information.
• If you are an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you are married, your spouse’s).
• Provisionally independent - if you have no contact with your parents, or you’ve left home due to an abusive situation, select “Yes” to the “Do unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their parents or would contacting their parents pose a risk to the student?” question on the FAFSA form. You may also be considered as “provisionally independent” if you indicate that you are unaccompanied and homeless or at risk of being homeless. More information can be found on the Federal Student Aid help pages.

Students who are applying with a “provisionally independent” status should contact Student Financial Support. We can advise what supporting documentation you will need to submit to us directly so that we can review your dependency status based on your individual circumstances.

The figures below are based on an undergraduate student living in on-campus, University accommodation, or in private, off-campus accommodation. For students living with parents, their cost of attendance will vary.

Your cost of attendance is calculated to cover your costs, including:

• accommodation and college fees
• insurance for your possessions
• food, toiletries and laundry
• course-related costs such as field trips, textbooks, printing
• social and sporting activities
• mobile phone and TV licence
• travel to and from the UK and travel while at university
• visa costs and NHS surcharge (first year only)
• a computer and printer (first year only)
• tuition fees
• loan origination fees (Federal Loans only)

How we calculate fixed living costs

The below example is based on the costs for a first year student on a three-year course living in on-campus accommodation. 

Expenditure	Weekly cost	Annual cost (40 weeks)
Food	£50	£2,000
Toiletries	£20	£800
Course related costs1		£800
Insurance2		£400
Laundry3	£11	£440
Social and sporting activities4	£37.50	£1,500
Mobile phone	£15	£600
Mid-range ensuite campus accommodation5	£209	£8,360
Travel to study (within York)6	£18	£720
TV licence7		£170
2x return flights to the UK		£1,950
Visa costs including flight to interview and NHS surcharge (first year only)8		£3,676
PC and printer (first year only)9		£480
Total cost of attendance (not including tuition fees or loan origination fees)10		£21,896
Total Cost of Attendance in $ (Exchange Rate $1.45 = £1.00 )11		$31, 749

Notes

1. Course related costs can vary and include such items as text books, photocopying, equipment and field trips. Your academic department may be able to provide a more accurate estimate relating to your specific course. If you have a placement as part of your course, costs may differ substantially, particularly due to travel costs.

2. It may be helpful for you to check whether you are covered by your parents’ household insurance before taking out insurance of your own. If you live in University accommodation, you will be covered by our contents insurance policy (endsleigh.co.uk).

3. This covers two washes a week on campus.

4. Social costs are indicative only. The actual amount spent on social activities can vary widely in accordance with your lifestyle choices. See sample social costs.

5. For the purposes of the cost of attendance, we have included an approximate cost for a mid-range ensuite room in University on campus accommodation. The actual cost of your accommodation will depend on your choice, the availability of rooms and whether you choose to live on campus or in private accommodation. These differences can be reflected in the amount you choose to borrow.

• We have many different room types and facilities available - see more about accommodation on-campus. 
  
• In private accommodation, it is often necessary to pay rent up to six months in advance. This is particularly so for international students and students with families. If you choose to live in private accommodation, you may also need to provide a deposit of at least one month's rent on signing the tenancy agreement. You may also need to arrange a UK Rent Guarantor (doing so may reduce the requirement for payment of rent up front).
• Please email accommodation@york.ac.uk if you need advice on living on-campus or in the private sector. You can also have a look at help with private sector accommodation and specific advice for international students.

6. Student Bus Passes are available on the First York website. If you're living away from York, the costs for travel will be higher. Cost of travel between campuses is free, but this does not include travel for students studying at King's Manor (for undergraduates, this is primarily if you're studying Archaeology).

7. You may need a TV licence if you watch television (whether through a television or on a computer or laptop) in your accommodation (even if living on campus). Find out more about getting a TV licence. 

8. Visa costs and the cost of flights required to attend an interview are only included in cost of attendance calculations for the first year of your course. NHS surcharges vary depending on the length of your course.

9. The PC and printer amount is only included in cost of attendance calculations for the first year of your course.

10. Your cost of attendance includes the actual tuition fees for your programme of study for the relevant year. The cost of non-standard fees may be more or less than indicated here. Loan origination fees are calculated based on your actual total cost of attendance including tuition fees, and takes into account your borrowing level and annual loan limits. 

11. We determine a fixed exchange rate once a year and apply it to all cost of attendance calculations. We don't revise our calculations throughout the academic year to account for small fluctuations in the commercial exchange rate.

You will need to make a separate application for each academic year you need a loan. Applications for each academic year usually open in May.

If you wish to apply for a loan for the current academic year please email sfsu@york.ac.uk.

You can also manage your loans and make any changes to existing ones.

When should I complete my application/documentation?

Applications for FAFSAs are open so you can complete that now. 

For Private Loans, the University of York online application form opens on 6 May 2025.

We will start to process US loan applications for the 2025/26 academic year from May 2025. Once we have reviewed your application, we will email you regarding the next steps.

Remember to keep us informed of any changes to your plans. 

Have you received my FAFSA?

Check to make sure you have added the University of York to your FAFSA application. If you have, it will take at least 3 working days before we are notified. We will begin processing applications for the 2025/26 academic year in May 2025, so you may not hear from us until then. Once we have reviewed your application, we will email you regarding the next steps.

Can I receive a Pell Grant?

Unfortunately, Pell Grants are not available while studying at a ‘foreign school’ like the University of York. They are only available to American Students studying in America. Further information on Pell Grant eligibility can be found in the FSA Handbook.

I have been offered a scholarship/funding, will this impact my loans?

Any scholarship or funding from another provider will impact the amount of loan available to borrow, dollar for dollar. You will be asked about this when we contact you about other funding, and you will need to provide us with evidence of the amount and source. 

Note: This relates to funding from scholarships, bursaries or other loan providers. It does not relate to funding you are receiving from your family, your own personal earnings, or funding from Americorps or Veterans Affairs.

Can I change my dependency status?

Your dependency status depends on the information you report on your FAFSA. You can find more information on what affects your dependency status on the Student Aid Dependency Status web page.

You can request an adjustment, more commonly referred to as a dependency override, based on unusual circumstances. An unusual circumstance can be considered when a student is unable to contact a parent or where contact with parents poses a risk to the student. These circumstances could include if:

• The parent is incarcerated.
• The student left home due to an abusive or threatening environment.
• The student has been abandoned by or estranged from their parents and have not been adopted.
• The student is a victim of human trafficking.
• The student is otherwise unable to contact or locate their parents and have not been adopted.

Requests for a dependency override are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you believe you have unusual circumstances that should be considered, please contact us at sfsu@york.ac.uk.

What happens if I/my parents don't pass a credit check?

If you can find someone who is willing to act as your endorser (similar to a co-signer) that can pass a credit check then you/your parents can apply for a Plus Loan with an endorser. If you do have an endorser, please let us know.

When will you approve my loan?

Once we have received all the information and documentation we need, we will start originating loans 3 months prior to the start of your course, which will be around the middle of June.

Do I need to borrow the full cost of attendance?

No - you can borrow any amount up to and including the maximum amount available to you. If you borrow less than the amount you owe the University in fees/tuition then you will be personally responsible for paying any balance owing.

When will I get my first payment?

After the start of your course. Your loan won’t be released before you’ve arrived for the start of the academic year. The first personal disbursement is usually up to 3 weeks after the start of the course so you must make sure you have sufficient funds for the weeks between your arrival and receiving your personal disbursement.

Information about your loan payments can be found on the receiving your loans web page. 

Do I need a UK bank account?

A UK bank account is preferable as it reduces the number of times your money will be subject to exchange rates.

How do I pay my tuition fees and university accommodation fees? Should I set up a direct debit?

No, do not set up a direct debit if you are receiving US Federal Aid. After semester 1 starts, all students receive an invoice for tuition fees (and university accommodation fees, if applicable). This is for information only. For students using Direct Loans, you will be put on an alternative payment schedule in line with your US loan disbursement dates (in September and February for undergraduate students).

What happens if I don't borrow enough to fully cover my tuition/accommodation fees?

If you don’t borrow enough to cover the whole of your tuition fees (and university accommodation fees, if applicable), you are responsible for paying the balance. You can pay the balance at any time. Exchange rates fluctuate throughout the year so only after the final disbursement has been paid will we know exactly how much the balance will be. 

Some students choose to pay an amount up front, using a best guess on exchange rates. If you inadvertently overpay (which will only be clear after the final disbursement in February) then any overpayment will be paid back to you once the exact amount is known.

What about Canadian Loans?

We are not involved in the processing of Canadian loans and therefore are only able to provide a brief overview. Canadian loans are means-tested, so you are required to demonstrate financial need to qualify. Applications are made through the provincial/territorial student assistance office or website and the provincial/territorial Student Aid Service then advises on what steps to follow.

Any forms that need to be signed by the University for Canadian loans are dealt with by the student records team, student-records@york.ac.uk, You can email forms directly to the team and they will process these on your behalf. Please quote your nine digit University of York student number wherever possible on any emails you send the University.

Can I use VA/GI Bill benefits and what is the process?

Veterans/dependents who are entitled to VA benefits can use these at the University of York on a VA approved course. 

VA benefits do not impact a student's ability to apply for or receive US Federal Aid and do not reduce the amount of US Federal Aid a student can borrow. 

Information about using VA benefits at the University of York is available on our US Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits web page.

Can I adjust my loan mid year?

Yes - you can decrease your loans if you want to, you can cancel a disbursement altogether if it’s not needed, and if you haven’t borrowed the maximum amount available to you, you can increase your loan up to the maximum amount as well. You will need to email us to request this - more information is available on the changing your loans webpage.

Can I study or work outside the UK?

Any periods of study or work placements outside the UK can adversely affect your loan eligibility for the time you are away, even if you have academic approval. You must contact us if this applies to you. Please see our studying outside the UK web page for more information.

Can I complete any of my studies in the USA?

Periods of study in the USA during your course may adversely affect your loan eligibility for your entire course, even if you have academic approval. You must contact us if you intend to return to the USA for any period of study. Please see our studying outside the UK web page for more information.

Can I use US Federal Aid for Online or distance learning courses?

Unfortunately US Federal Aid cannot be used for courses held online or via distance learning. Private loans may be an alternative option to consider.

Can I defer payment of my existing loans?

If you apply for a Direct Loan to fund your studies then repayments on existing loans will be deferred automatically while you are studying at the University of York. This is done after the start of the academic year in early November.

If you're studying at York but not applying for a new loan, you can still defer your payments - please email us at sfsu@york.ac.uk, including your nine digit student number, and ask us to report your enrolment. 

We report your enrolment on the American National Student Loan Data System so you should direct your lender to that system after early November (if you are taking out loans this year) or once we have confirmed that we have reported your attendance (if you are not receiving loans this year) for confirmation of your enrolment so you can defer your loan repayments