Consumer Information - US Direct Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans are available to eligible students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

To receive aid, including Federal Direct and PLUS Loans, a student must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Must be a student enrolled in or accepted to an eligible programme at an eligible institution. 
• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent. 
• Must be enrolled at least half-time for the period for which the loan is granted. 
• Must comply with the University's satisfactory academic progress policy. 
• Must not be convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving financial aid. 
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. 
• If male and aged 18-25, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Must not be in default on an educational loan, and must not owe a repayment on an adjusted federal grant. 

You cannot receive US government loans if you attend any of the following: 

• Any Distance Learning Programs 
• Any Diploma Programs 
• Any Certificate Programs 
• In most cases where your program includes a period of study in the US 

The following Falmouth University programs are ineligible for US government loans:  

• PhD students do not qualify for Federal Aid 
• Research students do not qualify for Federal Aid 
• Non-eligible academic programmes
• Online courses (distance learning) 
• Course delivered by partner organisations 
• Part-time courses 
• PhD/Research courses 
• Students who, in the given year, are undertaking a placement or exchange overseas. In such instances, all elements spent overseas, cannot be considered Title IV eligible 
• Any form of Foundation level study including the 4 year alternative degrees with an Integrated Foundation Year. 
• Non degree/certificate/diploma courses are not eligible for Federal Aid. 

For information regarding need-based and non-need based aid, as well as government aid, please refer to the following: 

• US Funding Guide
• International Scholarships
• Hardship Funding

For student loan information published by the US Department of Education, visit studentaid.gov.

The University will provide information published by the US Department of Education to students at any time that information regarding loan availability is requested, including the rights and responsibilities of students and schools under Title IV loan programs. 

Our Accessibility Team provide advice, support, and assistance for all students with disabilities and long-term health conditions, and with specific learning differences (SpLDs) including dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The team advise on eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and support staff to ensure students receive the support they need both in their learning and wider student life. 

Inclusive Learning Tutors work with neurodiverse students (students who have specific learning differences - such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD) and autism to help them develop their study skills and compensatory strategies. The team offer SpLD screening and advice on assessment. Tutors also provide resources and advice to staff on inclusive teaching and learning. 

Find out more at our Accessibility and Inclusion study hub.

For information regarding the cost of tuition, fees, mandatory health insurance and student housing, please see the following:

• We are unable to assess the cost of attendance for students wishing to undertake an overseas placement. As such, Federal Aid would not be available during such periods.
• For information regarding course costs, please see the individual course page. Occasionally there may be additional costs relating to your course, if so these will be outlined by your department. 
• For information regarding accommodation please visit our Accommodation page.

Entrance Counselling is required before you can receive your first Direct Subsidized Loan or Direct Unsubsidized Loan (as either an undergraduate or a graduate/professional student) or your first Direct PLUS Loan (as a graduate/professional student). 

Exit Counselling is required when you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrolment . Exit Counselling provides important information to prepare you for repaying your federal student loan(s). 

At the end, you'll need to provide the name, address, email address, and telephone number for your closest living relative, two references who live in the U.S., and your current or expected employer, if known. 

For information about the University's refund procedure, please refer to the Student Regulations page.

For information on academic programs offered at Falmouth University, please refer to the following section of our website which offers links to both the Admissions Team and all available courses: Study pages.

• PhD students do not qualify for Federal Aid 
• Research students do not qualify for Federal Aid 
• Only full, on-campus undergraduate (BA/BSc) and postgraduate (MA/MSc) students will be considered for Federal Aid 
• Students on any qualifying course, must already hold a high-school diploma and/or have the recognised equivalent of a high school diploma; and/or are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is physically located. 
• Students considering a full or partial year placement or exchange year, should contact the university in advance.

Disbursements of a students Federal Loans will ordinarily be triggered at the start of each Study Block, in the given academic year.

As such, this will vary dependent upon the delivery method of your course. Please see below for the disbursements based on course delivery:

3-year undergraduate courses  

2-year (Accelerated) undergraduate courses  

Postgraduate courses  

All US students wishing to officially withdraw from their programme must speak to the Falmouth University.

USDE regulations require Schools to complete a RT24 calculation when a student unofficially withdraws and return the funding to the Department of Education. The University will use the last date of attendance for that term to calculate R2T4.

Falmouth University is approved only to provide Federal loan lending for students on a degree programme. Therefore there are no Gainful Employment Disclosures to report.

Each school must annually provide notice to all enrolled students about: 

• The right to review their educational records, to request amendment of records, to consent to disclosures or personally identifiable information and to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. 
• Procedures for reviewing educational records and requesting amendment of records. 
• If applicable, information about the school’s policy regarding disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interest in the educational records. 

Read Falmouth's Data Privacy policy.

The University is committed to handling personal data in a fair and transparent way. As part of this commitment we publish information about how your data is processed in documents referred to as Privacy Notices or Privacy Policies. Due to variations in the way we capture data relating to certain audiences, we have created a privacy notice/policy for each audience.

Read Falmouth's Data Privacy policies.

The University will disclose your loan details to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).  

The University is required, in accordance with Federal Regulations, to report the details of your loans, and any changes to your enrolment, to the US Department of Education - via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) - within a specified timeframe.

Please note: this information will be accessible to loan servicers and other institutions determined, by the US Department of Education, to be authorised users of the data system. 

Falmouth University reports student registration on NSLDS each calendar month (during term time) through the National Student Loan Data Service.

If you take out a federal loan at Falmouth, we will submit the details of your loan to NSLDS and this data will be accessible to guaranty agencies, lenders and schools determined to be authorised users of the data system.

For the University's policies relating to academic integrity, please refer to our Student Regulations page.

Falmouth University does not engage in misrepresentation, which is prohibited by the US Department of Education regulations as explained here: 

Misrepresentation is defined as a false, incorrect, or misleading statement made directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student, any member of the public, an accrediting agency, a government agency or the US Department of Education. 

A statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally or through other means. This definition applies to statements made by an eligible institution, the institution’s representatives, or any ineligible institution, organisation, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programmes or those that provide marketing, advertising, recruiting, or admissions services. 

Substantial misrepresentation occurs when a misrepresentation upon which a person could reasonably be expected to rely causes harm. Substantial misrepresentations are prohibited in all forms, including those made in any advertising or promotional materials or in the marketing or sale of courses or programs of instruction offered by the Institution. An institution, one of its representatives, or a related party engages in substantial misrepresentation when it does so about the nature of its educational program, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates. 

If the US Department of Education determines that an eligible institution has engaged in substantial misrepresentation, it may impose sanctions against the institution. 

We do not provide the required paperwork for individual tax returns to the IRS, due to a recent change in their reporting requirements. 

Whilst previously, it was possible to complete a 1098-T form, now all overseas schools are required to gain an 'EIN Number' from the IRS. The range and scale of the additional undertakings that this brings has resulted in Falmouth University not applying for an EIN number. As such, we will not be able to provide the required information in a format which would be acceptable to the IRS.