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 Federal Direct Loans. 

In order to be eligible to apply for Federal Student Aid for 2022/23 you must have completed a FAFSA for the 2022/2023 academic year and have received an unconditional offer from Oxford Brookes University.

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 academic year 2022/23 if you apply after the following dates:

• Undergraduate Students: 31 March 2023
• Postgraduate Students: 31 May 2023

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.
• 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.
• 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.

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
• Weekly living costs
  • Room/Rent
  • Board/power and food
  • Books
  • Public transport
  • Personal
• Single costs
  • Cost of 2 return flights from/to the USA
  • PC / Printer
  • Visa application/flights
  • UK immigration health surcharge (please see our International Student Advice Team webpages for details) 

You can see detailed information about Living costs on our Finance webpages. 

The application process for foreign schools differs from the process for domestic schools in the US.  It is your responsibility to send us the documents we need to confirm your loan entitlement and to apply in good time to meet Oxford Brookes’ tuition fee payment deadline (and accommodation fee, if relevant). Please read this carefully. It will save time and inconvenience if you follow each of the steps detailed.

Oxford Brookes University’s School Code is G20879.

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

Below you will find an overview of the steps you need to take in order to make an application for Direct Loan(s). You must ensure that all the steps below are completed for your application to be processed.

Documents to download

For more detailed information on the application steps, please download our guide.

• How to apply for a US Federal Loan (PDF)

Application steps

Step 1 – Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

The Oxford Brookes University school code is G20879.

Step 2 – The offer

Receive an unconditional firm offer on your course of choice at Oxford Brookes University.

Step 3 –Entrance counselling 

If you’re a first time borrower and have never completed entrance counselling, you need to do so now. 

If you’re a first time PLUS loan borrower and have never completed entrance counselling, you need to do so now.

Step 4 – Master Promissory Notes (MPNs)

Undergraduate = Stafford MPN (subsidized/unsubsidized) and Parent PLUS if appropriate.

Postgraduate = Stafford MPN (unsubsidized) and Graduate PLUS if appropriate. 

Step 5 – Do you want a PLUS loan? (if you do not need a PLUS loan, you can skip this step)

You will need to complete the online application for a Direct PLUS Loan via the StudentLoans.gov website:

Graduate Students: Apply for a Grad PLUS Loan

Parents (of dependent undergraduate students): Apply for a parent PLUS Loan

The Oxford Brookes University school code is G20879. 

Once you’ve received your credit check clearance, please email it to us if prompted to do so.

Step 6 -  We recommend that you complete - Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement 

(students and parents as applicable) in order to help you understand your loans and how they affect your financial future. 

Step 7 – US Loans Information Form

Once you have filled in a FAFSA for the 2022/2023 academic year and have received an unconditional firm offer from Oxford Brookes, we will email you a link to our Oxford Brookes University US Loans Information Google form. Please make sure you complete the form accurately and in full in a timely manner. 

Step 8 – Cost of Attendance and maximum loan entitlements

We will calculate your cost of attendance once you have completed the Google Form mentioned above (step 7). We will then email you with the maximum loan amounts and ask you to confirm the sum that you want to borrow. If we require any other documents from you, we will also ask you to send these to us at this point.

Step 9 – Email us

Respond to our Cost of Attendance email (us-federal-loan@brookes.ac.uk) to confirm the sum you want to borrow. Remember you can borrow up to the sums we calculate for you but you do not have to borrow the maximum amounts suggested. If we ask you to send further documents, such as PLUS loan credit check clearance, include them in this email.

Step 10 – Loan(s) Certification

If 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 values and disbursement dates.

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. Closer to the payment date you will be provided with a link to submit your bank details to the Student Finance Office. You will be contacted by the Student Finance Office for confirmation of payment arrangements, preferably onto your UK debit card or into your UK bank account. Please see the International Student Advice Team’s webpage Money and Banks for useful resources to manage your money in the UK and open a bank account.

Dates for disbursement

• Disbursement 1: 26 September 2022
• Disbursement 2: 6 February 2023

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 31st March 2023.

Postgraduate students must complete their FAFSA and relevant documents prior to 31st May 2023.

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 (PDF)

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

The only private loan currently available to students at foreign schools is the Smart Loan from Sallie Mae Student Loans.

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

To apply for a Sallie Mae Student Loan

If you’re applying for Federal Loan and a Sallie Mae private loan, please follow the instructions at step 5 above ‘How do I apply’

If you are only applying for a Sallie Mae private loan and have received an unconditional offer from Oxford Brookes please follow the steps below.

• Please email us to let us know if you’re planning to apply for a Sallie Mae loan so we can send you our Oxford Brookes University US Loans Information Google Form to help us assess your loan eligibility and calculate a loan package for you.
• Read through FAQ4 above (How much can I borrow), and the detailed information about Living costs here (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/finance/living-costs/)
• Once you know how much you want to request to borrow, go to Sallie Mae Student Loans and apply online.
• 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 Sallie Mae system.

More information about Sallie Mae Student Loans

• 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.

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
• Undergraduate tuition fees
• Postgraduate 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