Federal Aid Frequently Asked Questions

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is now available so you can complete that now. 

We will start to process US loans for the 2026/27 academic year from May 2026. Once we have reviewed your application, we will email you regarding the next steps.

Remember to keep us informed of any changes to your plans. 

After the start of your course. Your loan won’t be released before you’ve arrived for the start of the academic year. The first personal disbursement is usually up to 3 weeks after the start of the course so you must make sure you have sufficient funds for the weeks between your arrival and receiving your personal disbursement.

Check to make sure you have added Northumbria University (03029500) to your FAFSA application. If you have, it will take at least 3 working days before we are notified. We will begin processing applications for the 2026/27 academic year in May 2026, so you may not hear from us until then. Once we have reviewed your application, we will email you regarding the next steps.

Unfortunately, Pell Grants are not available while studying at a ‘foreign school’ like Northumbria University. They are only available to American Students studying in America. Further information on Pell Grant eligibility can be found in the FSA Handbook.

Any scholarship or funding from another provider will impact the amount of loan available to borrow, dollar for dollar. You will be asked about this when we contact you about other funding, and you will need to provide us with evidence of the amount and source. 

Note: This relates to funding from scholarships, bursaries or other loan providers. It does not relate to funding you are receiving from your family, your own personal earnings, or funding from Americorps or Veterans Affairs.

Your dependency status depends on the information you report on your FAFSA. You can find more information on what affects your dependency status on the Student Aid Dependency Status web page.

Where there are unusual circumstances which could impact your Federal Student Aid eligibility, you can request an adjustment, more commonly referred to as a dependency override. An unusual circumstance can be considered when a student is unable to contact a parent or where contact with the parent(s) poses a risk to the student. These circumstances could include:

• The parent is incarcerated.
• The student left home due to an abusive or threatening environment.
• The student has been abandoned by or estranged from their parents and have not been adopted.
• The student is a victim of human trafficking.
• The student is otherwise unable to contact or locate their parents and have not been adopted.

Requests for a dependency override are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you believe you have unusual circumstances that should be considered, please contact us.

If you know someone who is willing to act as an endorser (similar to a co-signer) that can pass a credit check, you/your parents can apply for a PLUS Loan with an endorser. If you do have an endorser, please let us know.

Once we have received all the information and documentation we need, we will start originating loans 3 months prior to the start of your course, which will be around the middle of June.

No - you can borrow any amount up to and including the maximum amount available to you. If you borrow less than the amount you owe the University in fees/tuition then you will be personally responsible for paying any balance owing.

A UK bank account is preferable as it reduces the number of times your money will be subject to exchange rates.

If you don’t borrow enough to cover the whole of your tuition fees (and university accommodation fees, if applicable), you are responsible for paying the balance. You can pay the balance at any time. Exchange rates fluctuate throughout the year so only after the final disbursement has been paid will we know exactly how much the balance will be. 

Some students choose to pay an amount up front, using a best guess on exchange rates. If you inadvertently overpay (which will only be clear after the final disbursement in February) then any overpayment will be paid back to you once the exact amount is known.

Veterans/dependents who are entitled to VA benefits can use these at Northumbria University on a VA approved course. 

VA benefits do not impact a student's ability to apply for or receive US Federal Aid and do not reduce the amount of US Federal Aid a student can borrow. 

Information about using VA benefits at Northumbria University is available on our US Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits web page.

Yes - you can decrease your loans if you want to, you can cancel a disbursement altogether if it’s not needed, and if you haven’t borrowed the maximum amount available to you, you can increase your loan up to the maximum amount as well. You will need to email us to request this - more information is available on the Changing or Cancel Your Loans webpage

Unfortunately US Federal Aid cannot be used for courses held online or via distance learning. Private loans may be an alternative option to consider.

Northumbria University is required to confirm your attendance every 60 days with the NSLDS. Enrolment updates are submitted electronically and the information will be available to your loan servicers immediately.

You do not need to contact us unless there is a discrepancy in your enrolment data in NSLDS or your enrolment status has changed. If there is an issue, please email fc.financialaid@northumbria.ac.uk.

If you request a deferment, you will not need to make payments when your child is enrolled at least Half time or an additional 6 months after your child graduates, leave school, or drops below half time enrolment.

You will have the option of requesting a deferment as part of the loan request process. You can also contact your loan servicer to request a deferment.