{"id":11,"date":"2013-09-13T17:40:17","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T17:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stagewp.westernu.edu\/financial?page_id=11"},"modified":"2025-07-15T22:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T22:28:09","slug":"financial-loans-department-education","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.westernu.edu\/financial\/loan-counseling\/financial-loans-department-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Department of Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \n WesternU<\/a>\n <\/span>\n \/<\/span>\n Financial Aid<\/a>\n \/<\/span>\n Federal Direct Loan Program & Counseling<\/a>\n \/<\/span>\n Heading Text<\/span>\n <\/div> <\/div>\n

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Loan Programs and Interest Rates<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To receive a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan or Grad PLUS Loan students must meet the basic eligibility requirements for FSA funds: be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a valid Social Security number, must be enrolled at least half time, not be in default on any student loans and meeting satisfactory academic progress.<\/p>\n

Students must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid<\/a> (FAFSA). All students interested in financial aid will need to complete the FAFSA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Federal Direct Unsubsidized\u00a0Loans<\/span>:<\/strong> are available to undergraduate and graduate students from the Direct Loan Program and guaranteed by the federal government. However, the federal government does not pay the interest while the student is in school. Students must be eligible citizen.<\/p>\n

Interest rates have a \u201cvariable-fixed\u201d rate. The rate would be fixed until the loan is paid in full. Interest rates will be established on July 1, for the upcoming academic year. For the 2025\/2026 <\/strong>academic year the interest rate is 7.94% which starts accruing interest as soon as the funds are disbursed to the university. Please remember, that the interest rate for the 2026\/2027 academic year may differ based on what the 10-Year T-Bill will be by the end of May 2026.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Increased Annual Unsubsidized Loan Limits:<\/strong> Western University participated in the Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program before its phase out in 1998. As a result, the school may award the increased unsubsidized amounts to students who are enrolled full-time in a health professions discipline that was eligible under the HEAL program and is accredited by an approved accrediting agency. Because the increased annual unsubsidized loan limits are intended to replace funds that would have been available previously under the HEAL program, the annual loan limits for the increased unsubsidized amounts are the same as the HEAL program annual loan limits.<\/p>\n

The<\/strong> maximum annual Unsubsidized loan limits (for graduate professional students)<\/strong> as per the Department of Education the unsubsidized amount\/limits are based on the number of months of enrollment. Unsubsidized loans for a 12 month program are 46,167, 11 month programs are 44,944, 10 month programs are 42,722. All Nursing programs maximum unsubsidized amount is 20,500 as well as all certificate programs, and MSMS, MSPA, DPT, PHDBPS and MSBPS.<\/p>\n

If programs are less than 10 months long the unsubsidized amount will be prorated as per federal regulations.<\/p>\n

Unsubsidized amounts are subject to change based on the number of months of enrollment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grad PLUS Loan<\/span>:<\/strong> are available to graduate students from the Direct Loan Program and guaranteed by the federal government. However, the federal government does not pay the interest while the student is in school.<\/p>\n

Interest rates have\u00a0 a \u201cvariable-fixed\u201d rate. The rate would be fixed until the loan is paid in full. Interest rates will be established on July 1, for the upcoming academic year. For the 2025\/2026<\/strong> academic year the interest rate is 8.94% which starts accruing interest as soon as the funds are disbursed to the university. Please remember, that the interest rate for the 2026\/2027 academic year may differ based on what the 10-Year T-Bill will be by the end of May 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Federal student loans are required by law to provide a range of flexible repayment options, including, but not limited to, income-based repayment and income-contingent repayment plans, and loan forgiveness benefits, which other student loans are not required to provide. Please go to our Repaying Your Student Loans<\/strong> page on this site for more information on repayment plans.<\/p>\n

Federal Direct loans are available to students regardless of income.<\/p>\n

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  • The Grad PLUS Loan<\/strong> will be awarded to students with an unmet need to fill the gap in their budget (please refer to your award letter offer for your actual award eligibility amounts).<\/li>\n
  • Packaging and Award Policy <\/strong>Students at Western University of Health Sciences are packaged and awarded as independent graduate students.\u00a0 There are no Grants available to graduate students.\u00a0 Resources such as gift aid, scholarships, Military and the National Health Service Corps will be taken into consideration first when packaging and awarding students. all eligible students are then awarded in the unsubsidized loan and the balance in the Grad PLUS loan to meet the maximum of their budget. Students are awarded the maximum allowable in the Federal Direct Loan program’s as per their program and the Department of Education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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