An FDL is an educational loan provided through the federal government which includes subsidized and unsubsidized loans for students, and PLUS loans for parents and students.

What is the difference between a grant and a loan?

Loans are different from grants in that the student is required to pay back all money that is borrowed. Students who fail to repay their loans are considered to be in default of their loan payments and are not eligible to receive future aid until the default status is either rehabilitated or paid in full. For more information regarding the consequences of defaulting on a Direct Loan visit the FSA Collections website.

What's the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?

Part of receiving a loan is to understand there is an expense charged by the lender (interest) to be paid by the borrower for the use of borrowed money.

For subsidized loans you are not charged interest while you're in school half time, during grace periods, and deferment periods. At any point you are not under one of these statuses and in repayment, interest charges will be applied.
For unsubsidized loans interest accumulates on the loan from the time it is paid out. You can pay this interest while you're in school, during grace periods, deferment and forbearance periods. Any unpaid interest that accumulates during one of these periods will be capitalized and added to the total amount owed also known as your loan principal.

Steps to complete the Summer 2013 Federal Direct Loan Application

Federal Direct Loan Guide & Application Click Here

Complete the Loan Entrance & an electronic Master Promissory Note (eMPN) at https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/index.action

Steps to complete the Fall 2013 -14 Federal Direct Loan Application

Important: Students who received a Federal Direct Loan for 2012-13 are not required to complete a Direct Loan application for 2013-14. After completing the FAFSA and verification if selected, a tentative award with instructions will post to your ACES account.

Please be advised if you are awarded prior to being notified of your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status that is calculated after the spring semester and you are found to NOT be meeting SAP your awards will be canceled.

Complete the 2013-14 Online Federal Direct Loan request

Other Helpful Information

2013-14 Priority Dates & Deadlines

Federal Student Aid Direct Loans website click here.

To obtain information about:

Your Loan - Address/Name changes - Repayment estimates - Repayment plan changes - Deferment or Forbearance forms
call 800-848-0979
Direct consolidation loans
call 800-557-7392
Defaulted Student Loans
call 800-621-3115