United States student loans

Federal Direct Loans are low-interest loans to help undergraduate and graduate students pay for their education.

Direct Loans are provided by the US government and are available to US citizens who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer to study at Oxford Brookes.

The University's International Students Compliance team administers Direct Loans to eligible students from the US studying at Oxford Brookes and has been approved by the US Department of Education for the origination and disbursal of Federal Direct Loans. 

In order to be eligible to apply for Federal Student Aid for 2024/25 you must have completed a FAFSA for the 2024/25 academic year. New students must have an unconditional offer from Oxford Brookes University. Continuing students, you must have met SAP for the 2023/24 academic year.

Applications for funding made later in the year may take additional time to process. Please be aware that you may not be able to receive funding for the academic year 2024/25 if you apply after the following dates:

• Undergraduate students: 31 March 2025
• Postgraduate students: 31 May 2025

Loan eligibility

• You must meet the US Loan eligibility requirements.
• Enrolment status - You must be enrolled and continue to be enrolled at least half time at Oxford Brookes in order to remain eligible for student loans.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) - Each loan disbursement is subject to you maintaining satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the University and in line with the current University policy. There are policies for each course level, Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught and Research degrees.
• Place of study - Students must undertake their study or research within the UK.

Course eligibility

• We (Oxford Brookes University) are not authorised to offer Federal Loan funds to students undertaking any programme that has a compulsory online element or distance learning element. Such programmes are ineligible for any US Federal Loan funds. Ref: US Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA), July 1, 2006.
• We are not authorised to offer federal loan funds to students on Nursing, Midwifery or Paramedic related programmes.
• We are not authorised to offer federal loan funds to students on Foundation, Foundation Degree, Certificate, Diploma, pre-Masters courses or Degree Apprenticeships courses. This includes Post Graduate Certificates and Diplomas, for example, the PGCE in Teaching and the Graduate Diploma in Law.
• Students expecting to take a year-long work placement or period of study abroad as part of their course should contact us for further information about the loans available.
• Students on a year-long work placement will not be eligible for a Federal Aid loan during that year and, for the purposes of Federal Aid loans, will not be considered enrolled at least half-time on campus by the University.

Students’ responsibility

• If your enrolment status changes, e.g. if you drop to below half-time or take temporary withdrawal, or, if you are considering exchange study or returning to the US, you must inform the International Students Compliance Team immediately at us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk, as this may affect your eligibility for US Federal Aid.

All students are offered a resit opportunity on a failed module. Your US Federal Loan is not affected if you pass the resit and complete the correct number of credits (120 for UG and 180 for PG) in the same academic year. However, if you have not completed the full year of credit and you need to retake a module, you can only borrow PLUS loans, not subsidised or unsubsidised loans, until the year of credits have been completed. For example:

For 1 year Masters courses, you are expected to complete 180 credits per year (this is also the total number of credits for the course). If you need extra time to complete the course because you have to retake one module, you would only be eligible for PLUS loan for this time.

For a 3 year UG course, you are expected to complete 120 credits per year. If you fail one module during your first year and you are permitted to retake the module alongside your second year modules, you would only be eligible for PLUS loan from the start of the second year until you have passed the a total of 120 credits to complete from your first year. This would normally be 1 semester.

The federal school code for Oxford Brookes University is: G20879

You may borrow up to the cost of attendance which is set by the School. Please note that you should borrow only what you need. The maximum loans you can receive cannot exceed the yearly cost of attendance less any financial aid you may be receiving which includes:

• Sponsorship
• Financial aid from Oxford Brookes University such as a scholarship and or an award
• Other financial aid from the UK
• Other financial aid from the USA

The Cost of Attendance covers:

• Tuition fees (please search our fee finder for your course for the exact tuition fees for your course of study at Oxford Brookes)
• Weekly living costs*
  • Room/Rent - £210
  • Cost of 2 return flights from/to the USA - £1,500
  • Visa application fee (if 1st year student) - £490
• Single costs
  • Books/stationary - £950
  • Cost of 2 return flights from/to the USA - £2000
  • Public transport - £300 
  • Laptop (if 1st year student) - £600
  • Visa application fee (if 1st year student) - £363
  • UK immigration health surcharge - £776 

*Nota bene: the yearly cost of attendance is calculated based on a different number of weeks and it depends on whether the student is a September or January starter, UG or PG:

• CoA UG - 40 weeks
• CoA PG - 52 weeks
• CoA Jan. starters - 34 weeks

The exchange rate we are using for this academic year is £1 = $1.35.

This rate is used for calculation purposes only. The true exchange rate is not known until the loans are processed during the year. However, a static exchange rate guarantees that all students receive equal treatment throughout the year.

You can also see detailed information about Living costs on the Studying at Brookes - Finance webpages.

Full details about how to apply for US Federal Aid can be found in our How to Apply Guidelines - May 2024. You will need to open and follow this guide carefully to ensure you complete each of the following 10 steps fully:

1. Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Oxford Brookes University school code is G20879.
2. New students must meet all the conditions of your offer and continuing students must meet the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress which is assessed after your results are released.
3. New students or first time PLUS loan borrowers must complete entrance counselling for Oxford Brookes University
4. Complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) for each type of loan that you wish to borrow.
5. Decide if you want a PLUS loan. If you do, please email your credit check clearance if asked to do so.
6. We recommend that you complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement.
7. Complete the Oxford Brookes University US Loans Information Google form.
8. We may need you to send additional information so please do this in a timely manner. If you don’t understand our request, please contact us.
9. We will complete your cost of attendance and maximum loan amounts. Respond to this email to confirm the sum you wish to borrow. 
10. Once all steps have been successfully completed, we will finalise your US Loans and will email you an award letter with the confirmation of your loan type(s), values and disbursement dates.

If you are only applying for a loan from Sallie Mae, please see the relevant section below, and email to let us know (us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk).

From when you return our completed Loan Information Request form it can take approximately ten working days for us to prepare your Cost of Attendance document. During our peak application time (June/July/August), the process can take longer and we would recommend applying at least five weeks prior to any deadline you have to meet.

Prior to your loan being disbursed, we will email you a copy of the signed and stamped loan award letter to confirm that your loan has been originated on the US Education Department systems.

Low risk nationals, including US nationals, are not required to send their financial evidence with their Student visa (previously Tier 4) application. It is possible, however, that after receiving your application, the case worker will ask you to provide the original documents. Therefore we recommend that you do not apply for your visa until you have received confirmation that your loan has been approved and that your loan award letter has been sent to you.

Disbursements of Federal Loans will be made in at least two equal instalments by direct bank transfer to Oxford Brookes University.

The actual £Stg proceeds that we receive for each instalment may vary, as it is dependent upon the US$ / £Stg exchange rate on the date the funds are received in the UK.

Once the funds are received by Oxford Brookes, we will deduct any tuition fees and/or accommodation charges that may be due for the relevant semester. Any remaining balance of funds from each disbursement will then be paid directly to you, within 10 days. Please visit the Payment of US Student Loans page to submit your bank details to the Student Finance Office. A UK bank account is the preferred option to prevent your payment being subjected to conversion rates when it is paid to the university and back to a US account. You can find helpful resources on managing your finances and opening a bank account in the UK on the International Student Advice Team’s Money and Banks webpage. 

Dates for disbursement

• Disbursement 1: 23 September 2024
• Disbursement 2: please see provisional dates* below:

*Subject to change

Please note that the disbursement date is the date when Oxford Brookes will receive the funds, not the date when students will receive the funds.  Please see ‘Receiving my loan’ above for further details.

Undergraduates need to complete their FAFSA and relevant documents prior to 31 March 2025.

Postgraduate students must complete their FAFSA and relevant documents prior to 31 May 2025.

If you wish to make a change to your loan amount or cancel the loan during the year, please note that we require a minimum of two weeks’ notice prior to the next disbursement date to action the change with effect from that disbursement.

It is important that you understand your rights and obligations as you prepare to repay your Federal Loans following graduation. Exit counselling is compulsory and is designed to inform you about loan repayment and money management, and will help you make the necessary arrangements before and during repayment. Please see the 'Exit Counselling' section on the Department of Education's Student Loans website for details.

If your enrolment status changes, e.g. if you withdraw or drop below half-time enrolment, this may affect your eligibility for Federal Aid and you may need to repay your loan. You must ensure that you inform the International Students Compliance Team immediately if your enrolment status is going to change and refer to the Return of Title IV Federal Aid Funds (R2T4) policy.

• US Federal Aid Loans - Consumer Information 2024

Oxford Brookes will no longer be processing Veterans Affairs Benefits for students.

To apply for a Sallie Mae Student Loan

The only private loan available to students at Oxford Brookes University is the Smart Loan from Sallie Mae Student Loans.  Eligibility for Sallie Mae loans is determined solely by the lender, and Oxford Brookes is not involved in any decision to approve or reject a loan application.

Please review the Federal Aid Direct Lending programme before you progress with a private loan as this may be a more favourable option.

If you’re applying for both a Federal Direct Loan and a Sallie Mae private loan, please follow the instructions at FAQ 5 above ‘How do I apply’ for the Direct Loan, then go to Sallie Mae step 3 below.  Please note that the combined total of your loans cannot exceed the maximum you are eligible to borrow as determined by your Cost of Attendance.

Full details about how to apply for Sallie Mae private loans can be found in our How to Apply  for Sallie Mae Guidelines. You will need to open and follow this guide carefully to ensure you complete each of the steps fully. 

1. Complete the Oxford Brookes University US Loans Information Google form

2. We may need you to send further details so please do this in a timely manner. If you don’t understand our request, please contact us.

3. We will complete your cost of attendance and maximum loan amounts. Respond to this email to confirm the sum you wish to borrow. 

4. Apply for your loan with Sallie Mae Student Loans if you have not already done so.

5. Once all steps have been successfully completed, we will finalise your Sallie Mae Loan and will email you an award letter with the confirmation of your loan type, values and disbursement dates.

More information about Sallie Mae Student Loans

• Please visit the Sallie Mae website
• Smart Option Student Loan for Undergraduate students
• Sallie Mae Graduate School Loan.
• Sallie Mae Interest Rates & Repayment Options

Most lenders are registered to use NSLDS and, if you are taking out a Federal Aid loan whilst you’re studying at Oxford Brookes, we report your enrolment. If you need a paper deferment form completed, e.g. for a private lender or one who does not access NSLDS, please email a copy of the form to us at us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk so we can advise you further. 

As a foreign institution, Oxford Brookes University does not complete the 1098T tax form for students, but students can request a Certificate of Fees Paid. Please email us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk in order to request your Certificate of Fees Paid.

Useful links

• International Student Advice Team (ISAT) – includes visa and bank information
• Accommodation Office
• Tuition fees
• Federal Student Aid

Contact us

International Students’ Compliance Team
Student Central
Oxford Brookes University
Headington Road
Oxford OX3 0BP

Email: us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk