Loans

Student Loans

To be considered for a Federal Student Aid, you must complete a FAFSA, every year, after October 1st.  

Student loans, unlike grants and work-study funds, are borrowed money that must be repaid, with interest.  The type of loan that you may be awarded is dependent on the information that you provide when completing your FAFSA.  

What types of Federal Student Loans are available?

• Direct Subsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need.

• Direct Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible students.  These loans are NOT based on financial need. 

• Direct PLUS Loans are loans are made to students and parents of dependent undergraduate students.  Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. 

  Is there a loan maximum that I can borrow?

• Yes.  If you are an undergraduate student the amount that you can borrow each year in Direct Subsidized Loans, and Direct Unsubsidized Loans varies from $5500 – $12,500, depending on what year you are in school and whether or not you are considered a dependent student. 

Once I have applied for loans by completing the FAFSA, what happens next?

• You will receive an email from the Federal Student Aid office informing you if your FAFSA was successfully submitted.  If there is information missing, you may need to return to the application to provide additional information or make corrections. 
• Viewing your SAR, (Student Aid Report) which is available when you log in to the FAFSA site, will allow you to see how your information has been processed.  It is a good idea to look it over to make sure that there are no errors.
• You may be selected for verification, in which case, the River Valley Community College Financial Aid office will send you an email letting you know what you will need to do in order to meet the requirement.  Please keep an eye out for these emails as not responding to them will prevent your loan funds from being disbursed. 
• Before your loan funds are disbursed, you will need to complete entrance counseling, terms, and conditions, and sign a Master Promissory Note agreeing to the terms of the loan. 
• If you are eligible for grants from the federal government, you will see them included in your aid offer.  
• Remember, you must complete a new FAFSA every year after October 1st for the following aid year, which runs from the Summer of one year – to the Spring of the next.