Student Loan Options and Financial Aid

To apply for Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized and/or PLUS loans), you must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and include JCU's School Code, G33293, on the application. Once completed, a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent directly to the Office of Financial Aid, electronically.

A new FAFSA application must be submitted for each year of study before any Federal Student Aid can be awarded. The application for the 2024-2025 academic year has soft launched and is now open on an intermittent basis for FAFSA submissions.

• October 1st: FAFSA application opens on www.studentaid.gov
• June 1st: FAFSA applications due
• July 15th: Financial Aid Package paperwork & online loan procedures due 
• Jul 15th: Full tuition payment deadline*
• Mid Sept: Fall semester Direct Loan Disbursement (Week after Add/Drop)
• Nov 15th: Financial Aid Package paperwork & online loan procedures due
• Mid Jan: Spring semester Direct Loan Disbursement for (Week after Add/Drop)

Federal Loan disbursements are sent directly to JCU from the Dept of Education and are applied to billable charges. Any excess loan funds are returned to the borrower within 14 days of disbursement. The first disbursement each semester occurs the week after drop/add. Subsequent disbursements occur monthly as needed.

*Only the balance not covered by Federal loans, private loans, or institutional aid is due. Students receiving US Federal or private loans will be billed in USD regardless of citizenship status.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan:

• For undergraduate students who qualify for subsidized direct loans, the government pays the interest on the loan until the student enters repayment after graduation or withdrawal.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan:

• Undergraduate & graduate students who receive an unsubsidized direct loan are responsible for the interest that accrues during school, and during grace and deferment periods. If not paid while the student is in school, interest is capitalized (added to the loan balance) at the end of the borrower's grace period. The interest on this loan is minimal when compared to private loans.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan:

• Parent PLUS Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are available to parents of dependent undergraduate student to help finance their student's education. Parents may borrow up to the official Cost of Attendance,minus the amount of any other financial aid received. A credit check is required for the PLUS loan. Parent PLUS loans have competitive loan fees, interest rates, and repayment options.

Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan:

• Graduate students may borrow Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans to help pay the remaining cost of attendance. This loan requires a credit check and interest accrues upon disbursement. Interest rates and government origination fees may differ from Direct Unsubsidized loans.

Please note: Current US government legislation prohibits US citizens enrolled in colleges or universities outside the United States from receiving Pell Grants, SEOG, Perkins Loans, or Federal Work Study funds, even though they may be eligible for such assistance. Further, JCU is not authorized to administer Federal Student Aid to visiting students. Visiting student may, however transfer any existing aid from their home institution in the US to John Cabot University.

John Cabot University will determine a student's Federal Direct Loan eligibility when a FAFSA application is submitted with JCU's school code, G33293. Each eligible student will receive a Financial Aid Package from JCU containing the amount of JCU institutional aid received, and their Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized and Parent PLUS loan eligibility. Detailed instructions for borrowing federal direct loans are also included.

To receive a Federal Direct Loan, you must be a US citizen or US permanent resident. You must be enrolled at least half-time. You must be enrolled in a program that leads to a degree awarded by the school.

Students transferring to JCU must submit all transcripts for a Transfer Credit Evaluation in order for their federal loan eligibility to be calculated.

US Federal Aid recipients who complete coursework online or in the US risk losing federal loan eligibility upon returning to JCU. This affects students who spend a term(s) at a US university or study abroad with a program hosted by a US institution or study abroad organization. This also affects students via distance programs, including online and remote learning formats.

Interest rates are fixed rates for the life of the loan. Rates for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024 by loan type are:

• Undergraduate Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans: 5.49%
• Graduate Unsubsidized Loans: 7.05%
• Parent or Graduate PLUS Loans: 8.05%

An origination fee is a percentage of your loan amount charged by the lender to process your loan. Federal student loans have an origination fee; therefore, the amount you receive as a disbursement will be slightly lower than the amount you request. Origination fees by loan type are:

• Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans: 1.057%
• PLUS Loans: 4.228%

US Federal Loan eligible students and families experiencing issues that may impact their ability to fund their studies at JCU such as, but not limited to:

• Parents are non-US citizens and are unable to borrow the Parent PLUS Loan
• Student is homeless or at risk of being homeless

Are encouraged to share any special circumstance with the Financial Aid Office. Whenever possible, the office of Financial Aid might apply professional judgment on a case-by-case basis and with adequate documentation to factor individual circumstances into the overall need. U.S. Federal Loan Students might qualify for additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan funds. 

To be considered to receive additional Unsubsidized Loan funds student can complete and submit a “Special Circumstances Form – for Federal Student Loan” via email to the Office of Financial Aid at [email protected] together with the required supporting documentation. By completing and returning the form the Office of Financial Aid will be able to address those issues and decide if a change in eligibility can be granted. 

Requirements:

• Students must be accepted or current degree-seeking students at JCU
• Students must have a FAFSA Application for the current academic year on file and have it sent to JCU

Students are required to make satisfactory academic progress in order to continuing receiving Federal Student loans. The JCU Financial Aid Office monitors Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each semester. Students must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Hours attempted versus successfully completed
• Maximum time to complete a program

Students who do not meet these requirements may have their Federal Student Aid withdrawn. Download the complete John Cabot University SAP Policy.

Federal Direct Student Loans must be repaid.

Once you have graduated, withdrawn, taken a leave or absence or are no longer enrolled at least half time (6 credits), you will enter a 6-month grace period on your Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, during which time you are not required to make loan payments.

You must begin repayment at the end of your grace period. Your loan servicer will provide you with a loan repayment schedule that states when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment. You may calculate the monthly payment based on your individual borrowing, marital status, and income by using the Repayment Calculator.

If you withdraw from the university prior to completing more than 60% of a term, JCU will determine the amount of Title IV Federal Student Aid that you have earned, and what funds must be returned. The Title IV programs included are Direct Stafford Loans and Direct PLUS Loans. Download the Return to Title IV Policy.

Before you graduate or withdraw, you are required to complete the Exit Counseling. You may complete the Exit Counseling online.

For undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor degree or associate degree at a degree-granting school.

Learn more about the Sallie Mae® Smart Option Student Loan. 

For graduate students to pay help for expenses when pursuing a master's or doctoral degree.

When savings, scholarships, and federal aid are not enough to pay for your school expenses, you can find private graduate student loans designed for your field of study. The Sallie Mae Graduate School Loan can also be an alternative to the Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan, and if you are highly qualified, you may receive a lower interest rate.

Learn more about the Sallie Mae® Graduate School Loan.

For undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a bachelor or master degree.

Learn more about the Earnest Student Loan options.

Brazilian students may apply for the Leaders Study 2020 Scholarship to use towards their studies at JCU. For more information, please visit the Líderes Estudar website.

Canadian students may use Canadian federal and provincial student loans & grants while studying at John Cabot University. 

Please visit your provincial and territorial student aid office website for further information:

• Alberta Student Aid
• British Columbia Student Aid
• Manitoba Student Aid
• New Brunswick Student Financial Services
• Newfoundland and Labrador Student Financial Services
• Northwest Territories Student Financial Assistance
• Nova Scotia Student Assistance
• Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
• Prince Edward Island Student Financial Services
• Quebec Student Financial Aid
• Saskatchewan Student Loans
• Yukon Student Financial Assistance

Danish students may obtain support for studies abroad through the Danish students' Grants and Loans Scheme. 

For studies in foreign countries, students are supported for four-year courses or for the last four years of longer ones. Support granted for studies in Denmark can be used to finance studies abroad when they are accepted as part of a study program at a Danish institution. 

For more information, please visit the The Danish students' Grants and Loans Scheme website. 

Estonian students may apply for loans to help finance their studies at JCU. For more information, please visit the below websites:

• Swedbank
• SEB
• Coop Pank
• LHV
• Luminor

Finnish students may receive financial aid for studies in foreign countries from the Finnish government. For more information, please visit the Finnish Financial Aid website: Kela. 

Icelandic students may apply for grants & loans to help finance their studies and research abroad through the Icelandic Student Loan Fund. 

For more information, please visit the the Icelandic Student Loan Fund website or the national Island website.

Kazakh students, enrolling in a Graduate program, have the opportunity to apply for the Bolashak International Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to high-performing students from Kazakhstan who study overseas. 

For more information, please visit the Bolashak Program website. 

Latvian students may apply for loans to help finance their studies at JCU.

For more information, please visit the Swedbank website. 

Dutch students may receive financial assistance for full-time university studies outside of the Netherlands. For more information, please visit the Studiefinanciering buitenland website. 

Norwegian students may receive support for full-time education at university or university college level outside Norway and the Nordic region. Support may also be given for upper secondary education in exceptional cases.

For more information, please visit the The Norwegian Loan Fund website.

Swedish students may apply for study grants and loans when studying abroad at post-secondary level through the Centrala studiestödsnämnden.

For more information, please visit the the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) website.