Loans

Student loans are processed in two parts each semester. The first half of a student loan will be applied to your account on the 5th week of the semester, if a refund is due at that time, a direct deposit or paper check will be made on the 6th week. The second half of a student loan will be processed on the 10th week of a term. If a refund is due at that time it will be processed on the 11th week of the term. “Late Start” classes can delay a refund check.

The U.S. Department of Ed has issued this information concerning first time student loan borrowers and the Department’s 150% rule. Please take the time to read this announcement.

Student Loans and the 150% Rule (PDF), opens in a new window

Not all classes start the first week of the semester. If you are enrolled in a late start class, your financial aid or refund may be affected. Students are not eligible to have aid applied for a late start class until the class begins and your instructor reports you as having attended. Refunds of excess aid may occur later for a class that begins after the first week of the semester. Please check your award letter and “Aid Award Notes” insert for more information.

After completing the general Financial Aid Application Process, the Financial Aid Office will automatically award you a Direct Loan in the “Offered” status on your Financial Aid Award Letter.

To receive the student loan you must:

1. If you want the loan offered to you for this year, you must “accept” the loan. You do this by completing the entrance counseling, Master Promissory Note and Informed Borrowing Confirmation/Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement
2. Complete Loan Entrance Counseling  at https://studentaid.gov/, opens in a new window or follow the link provided at MyNC.
   All new students, transfer students, and new loan borrowers must complete Direct Loan Entrance Counseling regardless of any previous Entrance Counseling for other loans or schools.
3. Complete a Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note) at https://studentaid.gov/, opens in a new window  or follow the links provided at MyNC.
   All students, new loan borrowers, and transfer students must complete an E-mpn.
4. You will see the loan funds on MyNC within 5 business days of completion of these steps.
   Print and keep your confirmations, Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note submissions.

• If you do not want the offered loan, or want a lesser amount, please use the Loan Adjustment/Cancellation Form for the current academic school year.

• Not in default on a Federal student loan and do not owe a repayment on a Federal grant; and
• Enrolled and actively attending/participating for at least six required credit hours in a program eligible for Federal aid; and
• Federal Pell Grant eligibility has been determined by completing the FAFSA; and
• Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are met; and
• You have unmet need (PDF), opens in a new window in paying for your NC State education; and
• You have completed all loan application procedures, ie: entrance counseling and e-mpn.

Counseling helps you understand all the details of the loan agreement and covers topics like:

• When to start repaying your loan
• The cost of interest
• Consequences of failing to repay your loan

All borrowers must complete Entrance Counseling, opens in a new window for the Direct Loan program regardless of any previous Entrance Counseling for other loans.

If you have previous loans you must also complete Exit Counseling provided by the school that issued your previous loans.

When you graduate, become a less than half time student, or discontinue attending classes, you must complete Exit Counseling on-line, opens in a new window.

A Master Promissory Note is the legal contract between you and the lender by which you promise to repay the loan. Signing a MPN is the first step in accepting a Direct Loan from your Financial Aid Award Letter. A MPN may be signed on-line at https://studentaid.gov/(opens in a new window)

Things to know before signing the Direct Loan E-MPN:

• your FSA ID (PDF), opens in a new window, opens in a new window
• you are an UNDERGRADUATE while attending NCSC
• you are completing an E-MPN for Subsidized/Unsubsidized loan. (Not a Graduate PLUS or Parent PLUS)

Federal Requirement that all student and parent borrowers view how much they currently owe in federal student loans, and to acknowledge that they have seen this amount before a school can make a first disbursement of the first Direct Loan that a student or parent borrower receives for each new award year.

The Informed Borrowing Confirmation/Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement is completed on-line at https://studentaid.gov/,  (opens in a new window)

You can see all of your loan information at the National Student Loan Data System (NSCDS). This system lists all of the student loans you have received at various schools.

https://nsldsfap.ed.gov/, opens in a new window

Please check this website BEFORE accepting more loans. The total amount you owe may be more than you realize.

You can see all of your loan information at the National Student Loan Data System (NSCDS). This system lists all of the student loans you have received at various schools.

https://nsldsfap.ed.gov/, opens in a new window

Please check this website BEFORE accepting more loans. The total amount you owe may be more than you realize.

You can request a different amount than the number shown in your Financial Aid Award Letter. Use the Loan Adjustment/Cancellation Form to lower the amount, raise the amount or cancel the loan.

Students are offered the maximum they are eligible for in student loans at the time the offer is made. If you need to borrow more money after accepting the original Financial Aid Award Offer amount, please contact the Financial Aid Office.  Please note that completing a loan increase form does not guarantee that an increase will occur.   The office looks at all student loan increase forms on a case-by-case basis.

A typical student receives $3500 to $4500 per year in loans. You can borrow larger amounts if you meet specific criteria.

Borrowing more than is needed to pay for tuition and books is highly discouraged. Direct Loans are meant to pay for tuition, books and school related expenses. Do not borrow more than you need to also pay for non-school related items. Direct Loans cannot legally be used to pay for your personal living expenses or to purchase an automobile.

If you borrowed too much:

• Pay the excess amount back to the lender
• Or save the excess amount for the next school year tuition and books

If you are in default on a previous loan you will not be offered new loans at NC State. However, you can clear a default by submitting a Default Clearance Form (PDF), opens in a new window. This will allow you to be reinstated for new loans at NC State.

All default clearance forms must be received by the first week of the term for aid eligibility to be restored for that term. Any defaults cleared after the first week will be reviewed for the next term.