Applying for a Direct Loan
Springfield College students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens (green card holders) are able to borrow a federal Direct student loan from the U.S. Department of Education. Most students who apply for financial aid receive a Direct loan as part of their aid. You may apply for a Direct student loan even if you have not applied for aid or have not been awarded a Direct loan in your aid package by following these steps:
- Complete the FAFSA form. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, including the Direct student loan.
- The loan counselor needs to know the amount you want to borrow. First year students may borrow up to $3,500; second year students may borrow up to $4,500; third, fourth, and fifth year students may borrow up to $5,500 each year. The loan counselor will determine if this loan is all unsubsidized, or partially subsidized and unsubsidized. Send your request by email to financialaid@springfield.edu from your Springfield College email account.
- If your FAFSA report is selected for the verification process, we will need all additional required documents from you before we can process your loan request.
- You will need to complete the loan entrance counseling requirement and the Master Promissory Note. You need to complete these before we can disburse your loan funds onto your student bill. These two requirements are completed only once while at Springfield College.
- Remember that if you borrow an unsubsidized Direct loan you will be charged interest while you are in school. We recommend that you pay the interest that is charged while you are enrolled. This will save you money in the long run by not having the accumulated interest added onto your loan principal and then having interest charged on the interest.
- If you have any questions about the Direct student loan program, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Financial Aid. Our staff is very knowledgeable about the Direct loan program, and is a great resource for our families.
