Students from the USA

If you're from the US and you are interested in studying at St George's, find out more about federal and private loans. 

For programme eligibility for Federal Student Aid please contact usfederalaid@sgul.ac.uk.

Veterans' funding

If you will be using Post 9/11 GI Bill or any other funding from the Department of Veterans' Affairs please contact the student finance and policy officer as soon as possible by emailing usfederalaid@sgul.ac.uk. We need to request individual programme approval for each student which can take several months.

Applying for aid

• Fill in a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application via the Federal Student Aid website. The St George's, University of London school code is G22666. This will be required when filling in the FAFSA application.

• Check your Student Aid Report (SAR).

• Once Federal Student Aid have processed your information, you will be emailed a copy of your SAR. Please review the information carefully and ensure that it includes an estimated family contribution and the details of any previous loans.

• If any information is missing or there are comments stating further information is required, you will need to make corrections and re-submit your application. If there is a C shown next to the estimated family contribution, further information will be required. Check the comments codes and make any necessary corrections. In some cases we may need to ask you to provide documentary evidence (such as proof of US citizenship). Please send an electronic copy of your SAR to usfederalaid@sgul.ac.uk.

Calculated cost of attendance

If you have been offered a place on a course at St George's and have firmly accepted the offer then once your SAR has been received we will send you:

• a calculated cost of attendance

• details of the loans for which you are eligible and

• instructions on what you need to do next.

Federal loans available

The maximum amount of subsidised and unsubsidised loans is as follows.

Dependent undergraduates (students aged 24 and under)

Independent undergraduates (students aged over 24 or whose parents have been refused a Parent PLUS Loan)

 Graduate and professional students

The lifetime aggregates remain $65,500.00 (subsidised) and $138,500.00 (combined subsidised and unsubsidised). You may not borrow more than this total amount.

Federal Direct Parent and Grad PLUS Loans may be used as supplemental funding when subsidised and unsubsidised loan maximums are reached. As always, the total amount you may borrow in student loans for any academic year is limited to your annual calculated cost of attendance minus all other sources of funding.

Completing your application

Confirm the amount you wish to borrow and complete the loan application/s and entrance counselling and credit check (for PLUS loans).

Once you have confirmed the amount of each type of loan you wish us to originate, you also need to forward the following:

• a Master Promissory Note for Direct Subsidised/Unsubsidised Loans

• a screenshot confirming you have completed Entrance Counselling (even if you have done it in a previous year – it is good practice to do this every year as it reminds you of your responsibilities in the Direct Loan Scheme)

• a PLUS Master Promissory Note and screen shot of the credit check acceptance if you will be using a PLUS Loan

You do all of this online at the Federal Student Aid, Student Loans website. You sign into this site using the same PIN that you used to sign your FAFSA.

Please note that If you do not include everything required we will not be unable to originate your loans.

Loan certification

When you have completed the above steps, we will mail you a loan certificate. We strongly advise that you complete your application ASAP in order to ensure that your loan certificate can be mailed in time for you to apply for a visa to study in the UK.

Disbursing (paying) the loan

Undergraduate and postgraduate students will receive three disbursements (one per term).

From each disbursement we will deduct an amount towards your tuition fees and the remainder will be forwarded to you. You will need to open a UK bank account to avoid having to pay two foreign exchange charges.

Satisfactory academic progress

While in receipt of Federal loan funds for the loan period outlined on your loan application, you are required to be enrolled on your programme of study and to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

If you fail to meet the required standard in any period, you will be placed on 'Financial Aid Probation' for a period of one semester, or until the next available opportunity to undertake these assessments. If after this period you do not reach the satisfactory academic standard, your eligibility for Federal loans (Stafford and Plus loans) may be terminated. The student finance and policy officer would confirm any probation or termination of eligibility with the individual student should this situation arise.

View further details of St George’s, University of London's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy

Withdrawal from your course

If you withdraw from your course, you must inform the student finance and policy officer no later than five working days after withdrawal.

If a student who is in receipt of financial aid withdraws from their course, we will recalculate your financial aid eligibility based on your period of attendance. This could mean that you have to pay back money you may have received from Federal Stafford or Plus loans. The University may also have to repay funds received for tuition and/or accommodation to the US Federal Government. In this case you may become liable for additional fee payments to the University in order to replace these funds.

Any calculation will be undertaken in line with the rules set by the US Department of Education and cannot be amended in any way.

Exit counselling

It is a legal requirement that all students who have received Federal loan(s) and have graduated or withdrawn from their programme of study complete exit counselling. This is done through Federal Student Aid, Student Loans website. Please go to the site and follow the instructions for Stafford Loan and /or PLUS Loan exit counselling.

Private loans

You may want to apply for a private loan to cover the cost of education not met by Federal Loans. If you are over 24 and studying an undergraduate course, PLUS loans are not available so private loans may be your only other option. Private loans are not part of the Direct Loan scheme and not covered by Federal Student Aid Regulations.

We are happy to work with any lender who you choose to use who will lend to US students who study internationally. However, since the ending of the Federal Family Education Loan Program loan scheme, many of the lenders have withdrawn from the student loan market, especially for those US students who wish to study overseas.

Smart Option Student Loan

The Smart Option Student Loan is a private, credit-based loan for undergraduate and graduate students. It is designed to reduce the overall loan costs and help shorten the amount of time it takes to pay off the loan, the Smart Option Student Loan features interest-only payments while in school and repayment terms based upon the cumulative outstanding Sallie Mae-serviced private student loan balances and the borrower's academic grade level.

The Smart Option Student Loan is available through Global Education Management Services.

Repaying your loan

It is your responsibility to repay your loan. If in doubt about the terms of your loan, please contact your loan servicer.

Further help

We realise that the student loan process can be confusing. If you require further clarification, please do not hesitate to email us.

Email: usfederalaid@sgul.ac.uk