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The main types of federal direct loans are: 

• Subsidised loans - for undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need
• Unsubsidised loans - for undergraduate, graduate and professional students with no requirement to demonstrate financial need
• PLUS loans - for graduate or professional students, or parents of dependent undergraduate students, and can be used in addition to subsidised/unsubsidised loans. If a loan is taken out in a parent’s name, the parent will be responsible for the repayment of the loan.

Find more information about loan types on the website.

To receive a federal direct loan from a federal student aid programme you must meet the following requirements: 

• Have financial need (except for unsubsidized direct loans)
• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development Certificate (GED) or meet standards approved by the US Department of Education
• Be enrolled as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible programme
• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Have a valid social security number
• Make satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the institution
• Sign a statement of educational purpose/certification statement on refunds and default (on the FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS))
• Sign a statement of updated information, if required (on the FSS)
• You must also continue to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) during your course, see details on this below.

Eligible programmes

The �������� is approved to certify federal loans for degree courses only. We are approved to: 

• Permit written arrangements with an eligible institution in the United States to provide no more than 25 percent of a student’s programme; and
• Permit written arrangements between a foreign institution and an ineligible entity for no more than 25 percent of a student’s programme, provided that the ineligible entity satisfies definition of ‘‘foreign institution’’. The department is declining to permit stacking of the allowance for a student to complete up to 25 percent of their programme at an eligible institution in the United States under proposed § 600.52. However, an exception is permitted for independent research done by an individual student in the United States for not more than one academic year for research conducted during the dissertation phase of a doctoral program (where the research can only be performed at a facility in the United States) under current § 600.51. 

The following types of courses are excluded: 

• PGCE
• Postgraduate diploma/certificate courses
• Programmes offered in whole or in part via the distance learning route
• Anything less than half time, (continuous) part-time study
• Nursing programmes 
• Any programme that does not lead to a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree (including non-integrated foundation years). 

Students on these courses may be eligible for private loans. Find information on private loans further below. If you're unsure whether your course meets the criteria, please contact us at usloans@salford.ac.uk. 

Annual maximum direct loan eligibility tables in dollars ($)

• Parent PLUS Loans – capped at $20,000 annually and $65,000 aggregate per student.
• Grad PLUS Loans – Not available from 1 July 2026. Alternative funding may need to be considered.
• Universal Lifetime Cap - $257,500 total limit applies to all federal student loans combines (undergraduate, postgraduate and professional) but excluding Parent PLUS loans. Once this total limit is reached, no further federal funds can be borrowed.
• Undergraduate loan limits – remain unchanged for 2026/27.

• Parent PLUS Loans/Grad PLUS Loans – no annual or aggregate limits, but the amount is subject to cost of attendance (COA) minus other aid received.
• Students may continue to borrow under these current loans and limits for three years or until the programme is completed, whichever is shorter.
• No interruption of studies is allowed.

Interest rates and origination fees

Please visit the . 

Sallie Mae is the only lender we work with in providing private education loans to American students studying at the University. Applicants are encouraged to first utilise a US federal direct loan, if eligible, as terms are often more favourable than private educational lenders. 

If a mix of federal and private loans are borrowed, the total loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance limit.

If you apply for a private study loan, you must email usloans@salford.ac.uk to confirm the amount of loan you require.

How Sallie Mae loans work: 

• Funds will only be disbursed after enrolment on an eligible course at the ��������.
• Funds will be paid out in a single payment at the start of your course. If required, your full tuition fee balance will be paid first, and any excess funds will then be disbursed to you. 
• Sallie Mae funds will be paid directly to a UK or US bank account as advised by you. 

Visit for more information.

Your first step is to This process generates your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) and Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). 

Your FSS is required to determine your eligibility to receive a Federal Loan and the amount you are eligible to borrow. ��������’s School Code is G09006.

You should not follow the next steps until you can submit your application as your credit check is only valid for a limited time.

The US Department of Education will process your information and generate an FSS/ISIR. In order to certify your Federal Loans, the University must be able to access your FSS.

Please email us at usloans@salford.ac.uk and provide the following details:

• Full name
• Your university student ID (if you have been issued with one)
• Date of birth
• How much you wish to borrow

Upon receiving this information, the US Loans Administrator will be able to access your FSS/ISIR electronically and calculate the amount of funds you will be able to borrow.

You can also review/amend your FSS online once it has been processed.

We will notify you via email of the amount you can borrow. The subject line with be “Funding Notification Offer” and the content will include specific information about any loan that we plan to disburse under your Master Promissory Note (MPN), and the expected disbursement dates and amounts.

You should evaluate the aid offer carefully. With loans keep in mind that whatever amount you borrow must be paid back with interest. If your living expenses are not as high as the cost of attendance projected by us, you may not have to borrow as much as the amount in the loan notification email. You have the right to decline the loan or to request a lower loan amount.

Once you have accepted your loan and confirmed the amount you'd like to borrow via returning your signed funding notification letter, we will ask that your deposit fee is waived, if relevant, so that you can accept your unconditional offer.

Next you need to .

The MPN is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the Department. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s).

Please be aware you will need to complete a new MPN for each year of your studies if you continue to receive federal student aid. 

If you are applying for a Direct PLUS as a graduate/professional student, you will need to complete and sign a PLUS MPN that is separate from the one that you used for your direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

If you are applying for a Parent PLUS loan, your parent will need to complete and sign their own MPN that is separate from the student MPN.  

It is a federal requirement that any US student who receives a federal loan should first complete - unless you're a parent direct PLUS loan borrower.

You must complete the counselling session each academic year.

The PLUS loan requires a credit check. If credit is declined then you will need an endorser to take a credit check. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if you do not repay the loan.

As the credit check is only valid for 90 days, please do not complete it until just before you are ready to submit your application to the ��������. 

If you are a parent borrowing on behalf of your dependent student, the endorser may not be the student on whose behalf a parent obtains a Direct PLUS Loan.

To receive aid, you will need to have applied and been accepted onto your course at the �������� (which is at least part-time) and meet all conditions of your offer. This includes meeting the requirements of our Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy. 

When you register for your course, you will be asked how you intend to pay your course fees. Choose the sponsored category. Your Funding Notification Offer from the US Loans Administrator acts as a sponsor letter.

Once you've successfully registered on your course, your tuition fees will be taken in two or three instalments (two for undergraduate students, three for postgraduate students). We will use Convera (formerly Western Union) to pay out your funds into your bank account.

We will notify you each time we disburse part of your loan money and will provide information about how to cancel all or part of your disbursement if you find you no longer need it.

Please ensure that you have sufficient funds to cover your expenditure until you receive the refunded portion of your loan for study and living expenses after fees have been deducted, if relevant.

If you do not have enough loans to cover the full cost of your fees, it is your responsibility to ensure all your fees are paid by the due date.

Each loan instalment is in USD, and the exchange rate set for US federal loans for 2026-27 is set at $1.45 to £1.

You need important to keep your loan servicer and the ��������’s US Loans Administrator (usloans@salford.ac.uk) informed of any changes in your status, so that your loan information is always up-to-date. This includes: 

The number of students receiving Title IV is too small to justify a full-time available member of staff dedicated to administration of Title IV loans.

However, loans are administered by the Students Loans Administrator and all enquiries can be directed to usloans@salford.ac.uk.  

• ���ܰ� money page ���Ի�  international fees and funding page contain information about financial assistance available to students.
• Information specific about US loans can be found above this section. 

The criteria for continued eligibility in your academic and loan programme for your government are described on the website. The University's eligibility criteria are that you:

• Continue to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP)
• Continue to be enrolled at least part-time
• Complete any counselling you are required to take (entrance at the start of your studies, exit counselling before your final disbursement each year, and when you complete your studies)

Rights and responsibilities regarding your loans are fully described in the compulsory entrance and exit counselling you will be required to undertake as a condition of your loans, and which will be audited. Similarly:

• Terms and conditions of any loans
• Sample repayment schedule for sample loans
• Necessity of repaying loans
• Student loan information published by the Department

Disbursements dates are provided in your loan notification letter.

You will be advised of the maximum amount of loan you are entitled to once the University has completed your cost of attendance.

There are no conditions and terms applicable to any employment provided as part of the financial assistance package as there is no employment provided as part of the financial assistance package.

The �������� is approved to certify federal loans for degree courses only. We are approved to:

• Permit written arrangements with an eligible institution in the United States to provide no more than 25 percent of a student’s programme.
• Permit written arrangements between a foreign institution and an ineligible entity for no more than 25 percent of a student’s programme, provided that the ineligible entity satisfies definition of ‘‘foreign institution’’. The Department is declining to permit stacking of the allowance for a student to complete up to 25 percent of their programme at an eligible institution in the United States under proposed § 600.52. However, an exception is permitted for independent research done by an individual student in the United States for not more than one academic year for research conducted during the dissertation phase of a doctoral program (where the research can only be performed at a facility in the United States) under current § 600.51.

The following types of courses are excluded:

• PGCE
• PG diploma/certificate courses

Ineligible programmes

• Programmes offered in whole or in part via the distance learning route
• Anything less than half time, (continuous) part time
• Nursing programmes

Students on these courses may be eligible for private loans.

Please email us at usloans@salford.ac.uk if you are unsure whether your course meets the criteria.

Before we make your second and third disbursement (undergraduate students’ will receive two payments, postgraduate students’ will receive three payments, per academic year) we will require certain information from you. We will ask your tutor if you are making satisfactory academic progress, as specified in SAP policy. You will be advised of this by email prior to your second and third payments.

More information about SAP can be found in the SAP policy document.

The University must make available information about the cost of attending. We will advise you the maximum Cost of Attendance (CoA) that you will receive. The CoA will cover:

• Tuition and fees
• Living costs

These estimated costs have been incorporated in the CoA which is completed by the University to determine applicant’s borrowing limits.  There may be occasional additional costs for your course, if so, these will be outlined by your department.

• Additional advice for international students

More information about refunds and R2T4 can be found within the Return to Title IV Funds Policy.

The full details of R2T4 are included in the .

For a detailed assessment of the financial implications of withdrawal, contact the US Loans Administrator. 

Programme information is available on our courses page.

• The �������� is one of the degree-awarding bodies recognised under S.214 of the Education Reform Act 1988. It is listed on the page.
• The University’s Charter gives �������� its degree awarding powers.
• ��������’s main regulatory body is the . The OfS is the body which is responsible for safeguarding the standard and improving the quality of UK higher education. In addition, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) checks that students working towards a UK qualification get the higher education they are entitled to expect.
• A complete list of Schools is available on our schools and colleges page.

For full and independent details of all campus crime, go to the following websites and enter the school's postcode (M5 4WT) or the postcode of your residence to see details of all crimes in those areas.

The Admissions and Retention Policy and the Academic Regulations for Taught Programmes provide information about admissions and transfers.

The University has a wide range of services and facilities for students with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. Find out more on our disability inclusion service page.

The University is subject to the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Information required to be disclosed under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) 34 C.F.R Part 99 is under US Law. The University is solely subject to UK Law.

In order to prohibit a conflict of interest of an agent with respect to private education loans, all agents at the University with responsibility for US loans are prohibited from the following:

• Revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender
• Receiving gifts from a lender, a guarantor, or a loan servicer
• Contracting arrangements providing financial benefit from any lender or affiliate of a lender
• Directing borrowers to particular lenders, or refusing or delaying loan certifications
• Offers of funds for private loans
• Call centre or financial aid office staffing assistance
• Advisory board compensation

 All agents with responsibility for US loans are reminded at least annually of the code.

US Education Department regulations require that students are given notice that terms/conditions of Title IV loans may be more favourable than private education loans. Find more information about The GEMS Smart Option Loan by Sallie Mae on the website.

Schools are also required to inform students of all private loan lenders that are willing to make loans to its students. The only lender willing to lend to students attending foreign schools is Sallie Mae. As this is fewer than three lenders, this is not considered a preferred lender list. The School is not endorsing this lender and the borrowers may choose any lender they can find which is willing to lend to students at foreign schools without any financial obligation on the part of the school.

More information on private loans can be found on these pages which are designed to specifically assist students and families who are looking at private loan options while attending an institution outside the United States.

has a page with three categories of loans for undergraduate, postgraduate or parent. They also have a section on.

The University does not teach any "gainful employment" courses for which students with loans are eligible. Loans are only eligible for degree courses and degree courses are not "gainful employment" courses.

Details of students taking out loans at the University will be submitted to (NSLDS). This data will be accessible to guaranty agencies, lenders and schools determined to be authorised users of the data system.

The �������� does not complete 1098T tax forms for its students, and does not have an EIN. The Income and Treasury Department will provide a statement of paid tuition fees if required.