US student loans

To be eligible to receive Federal Direct Aid and PLUS loans, you must:

• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security number
• Be a student enrolled or accepted for enrolment in an eligible programme at an eligible institution
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be enrolled at least half-time for the period for which the federal loan is originated
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• Not be in default on an educational loan and not owe a repayment on an adjusted federal grant
• Comply with the University’s satisfactory academic progress policy (see Maintaining Eligibility below)

Full details set of the criteria set by the US Department of Education are available to view on the Federal Student Aid website: Eligibility Requirements | Federal Student Aid

Ineligible programmes

Please be aware that there are restrictions on the University’s ability to offer federal loan funds to students on certain courses. Only degree programmes offered at the University are eligible for funding by federal loans.

Therefore, in accordance with regulations governing Federal Student Aid, the following programmes are not eligible for federal loans:

• Courses that are non-degree programmes, eg PELP (Pre-sessional English Language programmes), International Foundation Year and International Year One courses 
• Courses that are offered in full or in part by online, through telecommunications and correspondence including distance learning are not eligible.
• MA in Screenwriting for Television and Film (in retreat) option is not eligible
• Distance learning courses offered through the Kaplan programme
• Distance learning programmes offered through the University of London’s International Programmes division
• Courses that involve studying outside the UK for more than 25% of the total course duration (contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk for more information)
• Any course that offers more than 50% of its programme through internship
• Masters student will lose their eligibility if they return to the USA to complete their studies

This is not an exhaustive list. Please note that if any element of your course is ineligible for federal aid, you will not be eligible to receive federal loans for any part of your course. If you have any concerns about the eligibility of the course you want to study, please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk.

If you will be coming to Royal Holloway as a Study Abroad or exchange student, you will need to process your loan application through your home university.

If you want to study on an ineligible programme, a private loan may be an option (see Available Loans for more information).

Study Abroad and Exchange

Most undergraduate and PhD students at the University have the option of adding a voluntary study abroad/exchange component to their studies. You can find out more about study abroad and exchange opportunities on our website at Studying abroad (royalholloway.ac.uk) or emailing studyabroadstudents@royalholloway.ac.uk.

Students who receive Federal Aid need to be aware that you are potentially allowed to take up to 25% of your programme of study in the United States or at an institution outside the United States provided there is a written agreement. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to find out more information about this and to request a list of Title IV eligible institutions. Please note that the Study Abroad and exchange must not exceed 25% of your studies.

For students to remain eligible to receive federal aid, the study abroad programme must make up no more than 25% of the maximum credits undertaken for the whole programme and where a written arrangement is in place, as detailed in the Code of Federal Regulations Part 602, subpart B, paragraph 22. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to find out more information about this and request a list of Title IV eligible institutions.

Ineligibility for Grants

As a student at a foreign school, you are not eligible to receive PELL Grants or other ‘Campus Based’ Funds.

Federal Direct Loans

As a foreign school, Royal Holloway is eligible to originate loan applications for Federal Direct Loans and PLUS loans. Full information on these loans can be found here.

Origination fees, default fees and interest rates are subject to change. For the latest information on interest rates and fees, please see the Federal Student Aid website.

* First time undergraduate borrowers after 1^st July 2013 may not receive subsidized Stafford loans for more than 150% of the published timeframe of their programme, and the student becomes responsible for paying the interest after meeting the 150% limit.

** Independent undergraduates and dependent undergraduates where the parent is denied a Parent PLUS loan are not eligible for a PLUS loan. They would qualify for a higher Stafford unsubsidized loan amount (see Loan Limits). Any shortfall in funding would have to be covered by a private loan.

Full information on these loans can be found here.

Royal Holloway does not charge any loan fees.

Please note: Pell Grants and Federal Grants are not available for study at foreign schools.

Private Loans

If you are a US citizen or eligible non-citizen, private loans may provide an alternative means of funding your studies if you cannot cover your entire study and living costs with federal loans or you are ineligible for federal loans. They can also be used alongside Direct Loans.  Federal loans have more favourable terms and conditions and tend to be cheaper than private loans, therefore it is advisable to borrow federal loans first wherever possible.

We have to certify private loan applications and the amount you borrow cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance. Interest rates are variable and will depend on your credit rating. If credit is denied, you will need a co-signer.

The University does not operate a preferred lender arrangement, which means that students may approach any lender of their choice about a private loan, although it is important to check that the lender will offer loans to US citizens studying at foreign schools outside the USA. We are currently aware that this applies to Sallie Mae and Earnest. You can view more about “GEMS Undergraduate and Graduate Student Loans by Sallie Mae” at www.myglobaled.com and about Earnest at www.earnest.com

Private loans may be disbursed as a lump sum or as multiple disbursements. As interest starts accruing from the day the lender releases the disbursement, you will have more interest to pay if your loan is disbursed as a lump sum.

Federal loans versus private loans

Compare federal and private loans

Bursaries and Scholarships

You can find information about the Bursaries and Scholarships offered by the University here

See also external sources of funding for international students

The maximum amount of Federal Direct Loan funds that a student is eligible to borrow is set by the US government. The amount that a student can borrow each academic year is controlled by the stage of their studies, whether they are a dependent or independent student, their financial need and their Cost of Attendance. You must complete the Cost of Attendance (COA) (loan packaging calculator) to determine the amounts that you are eligible to borrow in the academic year.

You cannot borrow more than your financial need or your cost of attendance.

Undergraduate Students

The U.S Department of Education charge an origination fee on all loans and this is deducted from each disbursement

Postgraduate Students

Direct Loan Aggregate Limits

This is the total of how much you can borrow over your lifetime.

Each academic year the University will determine your Cost of Attendance (COA). This is not decided on the exact amounts you will pay, but is based on the average costs for a student attending the University on your programme, if you attend at least half time, and is based on your period of study. While your costs may vary depending on where you live while you are at University, we expect your COA to be roughly in line with our estimate.

The elements that are included in the COA are:

• Tuition fees for the year
• Living costs including room (accommodation) and food (board)
• Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
• Travel while at university
• Personal expenses 
• Two return flights from the USA to the UK
• For first year students, it also includes the cost of the initial visa and IHS fees.
• Federal loan fees are based on typical borrowing averages for students on your course.

Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to discuss other costs such as study abroad expenses, dependent care and disability-related expenses.

You are eligible to receive loans up to the total value of the less your other financial aid (called EFA up to 2023/24 and OFA from 2024/25) and your EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) up to 2023/24 or SAI (Student Aid Index) from 2024/25. This calculation will provide the amount of loans you are eligible to receive. The total that you may borrow in federal and private loans and the value of any scholarships or bursaries you may be receiving may not exceed your COA.

We recommend that you only borrow what you need to cover your education expenses. There is flexibility during the year to adjust the amount you borrow as you can request additional funds during the academic year (up to the maximum value of the COA) or you can reduce the value of your loans. 

For the 2024/25 academic year, new students should contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to request the applicable Cost of Attendance or download the relevant Cost of Attendance listed below:

Undergraduate:

Undergraduate (dependent) 1st year students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be living on campus

Undergraduate (dependent) 1st year students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be living off campus 

Undergraduate (independent) 1st year students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be living on campus 

Undergraduate (independent) 1st year students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be living off campus 

Postgraduate:

Postgraduate students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be living on our Egham campus

Postgraduate students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be studying on our Egham campus and living off campus

Postgraduate students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be studying on our London campus and living in University of London accommodation

Postgraduate students for the 2024/25 academic year who will be studying on our London campus and living off campus 

For returning students, please send an email to usloans@rhul.ac.uk confirming that you have completed your FAFSA and you will be sent the COA that is applicable to your situation.

We will use an exchange rate of GBP1 to USD1.35 to convert your tuition fees and living expenses to US dollar for both the 2023/24 and the 2024/25 academic year. The exchange rate will be reviewed every year.

Professional Judgment

We will be fair but judicious in exercising our professional judgment. If you have individual circumstances that you would like us to consider for making adjustments to your Cost of Attendance, please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk and these will be considered on a case-by -case basis. The categories of professional judgment that we will consider are:

Special circumstances – financial situations that may require us to adjust elements of your Cost of Attendance

Unusual circumstances – specific conditions defined by law that allow us to make an adjustment to your dependency status.

Information on fees

For information on fees, check the link to the appropriate programme:

Undergraduate tuition fees

Postgraduate taught tuition fees

Postgraduate research tuition fees

Step 1

The first step you need to take is to complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) application here. This is the loan application for Subsidized (Undergraduate students only) and Unsubsidized (Undergraduate and Graduate students) Loans. Our federal school code is G09086. You must do this every year that you want to take out a federal loan.

As soon as you have submitted your FAFSA, please let us know about your application by emailing your full name, University student ID number and the course that you have applied for to usloans@rhul.ac.uk. 

Step 2

Once your FAFSA is complete and processed, it will generate a report. In the 2023-24 cycle this is called a Student Aid Report (SAR) and from 2024-25 this is called a FAFSA Submission Summary. Please keep this safe for your own records. We will also receive a copy of this and we will use it to determine your eligibility for a federal loan. If there are any errors, please make the necessary changes here.

Step 3

You will need to go to www.studentaid.gov to complete the necessary documentation:

PLUS loan application: If you intend to apply for a PLUS loan (or your parent intends to apply for a Parent PLUS loan) in addition to the Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized loan then you (or your parent) will need to complete a PLUS loan application at the studentaid.gov website at

• Parent PLUS at Apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a Parent | Federal Student Aid
• Graduate PLUS at Apply for a Grad PLUS Loan | Federal Student Aid

Master Promissory Note - the loan agreement that sets out the terms on which you must repay your loan and the interest. You must complete a Master Promissory Note for Stafford Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans and for Graduate or Parent PLUS Loans you must complete a Master Promissory Note and a PLUS Loan Request Application. This must be done every year you want to take out federal loans.

Entrance Counselling – if you have not previously received a federal loan, you must complete entrance counselling for each type of loan you are taking at  Entrance Counseling | Federal Student Aid / . Similarly, if you are a graduate student, you must complete Entrance Counselling unless you have previously received a Graduate Direct or Federal PLUS loan. Parent PLUS borrowers do not have to complete Entrance Counselling. We encourage students to participate in counselling each year so that they are better informed about borrowing, but this is not compulsory.

Step 4

You need to complete the Cost of Attendance spreadsheet that we send to you or that you download from our website and return it to us at usloans@rhul.ac.uk. We will then make the necessary regulatory checks as part of the loan packaging and origination process. We will contact you if we are unable to access the required documentation or have queries.

Step 5

Using the information from your completed Cost of Attendance, we will send you a Funding Notification Letter to allow you to confirm or amend the loan amounts that you wish to borrow. This letter also sets out the basis on which you take out these funds. You will need to initial, sign and return the letter to usloans@rhul.ac.uk.

Step 6

We will originate your loans and then send you your financial aid offer confirming the amount you will be receiving net of origination fees and the anticipated disbursement dates. We will aim to disburse the funds to you as close to these dates as possible.

Note:

Although US citizens are not required to submit proof of funding in support of their Student Visa application (see our information about supporting documentation requirements at Student visa), the original hard copy of the loan letter may be submitted as evidence of funding if requested by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

Timing

We begin processing loans for the next academic year in May/June. It is your responsibility to complete your loan application in a timely manner.

As an eligible student, you can apply for a federal loan during the course of the academic year, however you must submit your application in time for us to complete processing and disburse the funds before the end of your academic year. There is a US Department of Education deadline for submitting your FAFSA, so you must ensure that this is also met (see FAFSA deadline).

Federal loans are disbursed in two equal instalments, once after the start of the academic year and the other halfway through the academic year.

The anticipated disbursement dates for 2024/25 are:

For students starting in September 2024

Disbursement one: 10 October 2024 (returning students) and 24 October 2024 (new students to include required 30 day delay)                

Disbursement two: 13 February 2025 (UG students) and 27 March 2025 (PG students)

For PG students starting in January 2025

Disbursement one: 13 February 2025

Disbursement two: 17 July 2025

These dates are for guidance only.

You will need to ensure you have sufficient funds of your own to cover your living expenses until you receive your first disbursement.

You must be fully enrolled at the University before your disbursement can be approved. The University will deduct a proportion for tuition and residence fees (where relevant) from each disbursement and any remaining balance will be paid into your specified bank account. If you have opened a UK bank account, you will need to enter these details on the Convera website to receive your disbursement. The International Advice team will provide you with instructions on how to do that. This will enable the funds to be paid directly to your UK bank account via BACS payment. Information on opening a UK bank account can be found here.  (Note: if you are also receiving a stipend from the University, you will also need to enter your UK account details on the Money Tab in Campus Connect.)

If you have not opened a UK account before the first disbursement, please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk.

Exchange rate

Your funds will be converted to £ on receipt and currency conversion costs will apply. The actual amount for each disbursement will vary, as it will depend on the exchange rate on the date the funds are received.

Right to cancel

You will be notified by email of your right to cancel or amend the amount of the disbursement generally three weeks before each disbursement is due to be paid to you. If you wish to make any changes to your federal loan, you must notify us by the deadline specified in the email. If you notify us after that date that you don't need all the money after we have requested the funds from the US Treasury, you will need to return the excess funds as a repayment on your loan.

Any funds returned within 120 days of the last disbursement will be treated as a cancellation and any interest accrued on the returned amount will be cancelled as well. Details of your loan servicer are available via Who’s My Student Loan Servicer? | Federal Student Aid

Tuition fee deposit 

If you are in receipt of a federal and/or private loan and you are borrowing enough to cover your tuition in full, this deposit can usually be waived. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk for further information and guidance.

Enrolment

If you are in receipt of a federal and/or private loan that is at least equal to your total tuition fee, you will be enrolled automatically without the need for an invoice. A member of the Student Fees team will inform you if you need to make a payment to enrol.

Satisfactory academic progress

To remain eligible to receive your federal loans, you have to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and remain in at least half time study throughout the course of your programme. We will check SAP at the end of each payment period. If you are a continuing student, we will check your SAP before the commencement of the new academic year. Our SAP policy can be found here.

Change in student status

If you withdraw, graduate or drop below half time (part-time) study, we will update your status with your lender or loan service via the National Student Loans Data System (NSLDS)  and you will no longer be eligible to receive further federal loans at the College. This will also enter your federal loans into repayment.

Please note if you submit your thesis, your status will be reported as "less than half time", and if you interrupt your studies for more than 180 days, your status will be the same as if you had withdrawn. 

If your student status changes in these ways, we will be required to perform a return of funds calculation to determine if you have earned all the federal aid that was disbursed to you during the payment period. If you haven't completed at least 60% of the relevant payment period, we will need to return any unearned funds in respect of tuition and residence fees to the US Treasury, which may leave you with a debt to the college. Any remaining disbursements would also have to be cancelled. See details in our Return to Title IV Funds Policy for further information.

This process is separate from the College’s refund policy which can be found here.

Maximum eligibility period for undergraduates

If you are an undergraduate student, you will only be eligible to receive Federal Aid for a maximum period of 150% of the published time frame of your programme. 

Exit counselling

If you graduate, withdraw or drop below half time study or you completing your studies or if you have confirmed that you won't be borrowing any further federal loans for the remainder of your studies, we are required to ensure that you complete an exit counselling session at Exit Counseling | Federal Student Aid. This provides important information on loan repayment. We will check that you undertake this Exit Counselling and document it in our records.

If any student is considering withdrawing or interrupting or taking a leave of absence, we strongly recommend that they:

• Arrange to meet their Personal Advisor, Education Lead, Academic Co-ordinator or Head of Department to discuss the implications of withdrawing and options open to them.
• Seek support from Student Wellbeing by emailing wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk see Student Wellbeing for more information
• Seek guidance from the Students’ Union Advice Centre by emailing advice@su.royalholloway.ac.uk or see RHSU Advice Centre for more information
• In addition, if the student is receiving federal loans, we strongly recommend that they contact the International Advice Office to discuss the effects of this decision on their visa and their Federal loans by emailing internationaladvice@rhul.ac.uk and usloans@rhul.ac.uk.

Official Withdrawal

A withdrawal refers to a student’s intent to terminate their studies at the College completely with no expectation of return. Students who subsequently decide to return to their studies must re-apply.

If a student receiving federal loans decides to withdraw, the University’s requirements depend on the student’s programme

• An Undergraduate student must report this to Student Administration at Update my study details
• A Postgraduate Taught student must report this to Student Administration at Update my study details
• A Postgraduate Research student must report this to the Student Services Centre or Doctoral School at Changes that affect your registration status

Unofficial Withdrawal

An unofficial withdrawal is one where the student does not notify the University that they have ceased or will cease attending their programme of studies at the University. This may become an attendance and engagement issue and the formal warning process will be instigated (see Formal warnings - Royal Holloway Student Intranet). This process can be lengthy, but can ultimately lead to the student having their registration at the University terminated.

Attempts will be made by the student’s School, Department, Student Administration and/or Student Wellbeing team as well as the International Advice Office to contact the student and try to re-engage them in their studies before the Formal Warning is issued.

Official Withdrawal

A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student's program of study. At the College this can be an authorised absence or an interruption of more than 60 days. In the context of Title IV funds, an LOA refers to the specific time period during a program when a student is not in attendance and will return to complete the program provided they satisfy a number of specific conditions.

If a student takes an approved LOA, they will not need to re-apply to return to their studies. Student Administration will contact them towards the end of their LOA to discuss the arrangements for their return.

Unapproved Leave of Absence

The College may also grant an unapproved Leave of Absence (LOA) to students receiving federal loans. This will cover all Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students who interrupt for any period of time but intend to return to their studies, and Postgraduate Research students whose interruption does not meet the conditions of an approved LOA.

A student taking an unapproved LOA will not need to re-apply to return to their studies. Student Administration will contact them towards the end of the LOA to discuss the arrangements for their return. However this will be treated as a withdrawal for Title IV purposes.

Return of Title IV Calculation

The College has an institutional refund policy (see Student Fee Regulations). In addition, if a student receiving federal aid withdraws from the College or takes an unapproved LOA, we will carry out a Return to Title IV calculation to determine if you have earned all the federal aid that was disbursed to you during the payment period. This is outlined in our Return to Title IV Funds policy. These policies are separate.

If a student takes an approved LOA, the return to Title IV calculation is not required.

Exit Counselling

When a student withdraws from the College, they are required to complete Exit Counselling at Exit Counseling | Federal Student Aid. This provides important information on the repayment of their federal student loans and money management. Wellbeing: International Advice will check that students undertake this Exit Counselling and document it in their records.

Repayment of your loans is arranged directly through your loan servicer. We recommend that you keep in contact with them to ensure your loan repayment information is up to date. You must inform them of:

• Any factors affecting your ability to repay your loan
• Any changes in your status including completing your course or if you do not enrol for the period covered by your loan
• Any changes in your personal details e.g. name, address, phone number

Your student loan(s) must be repaid and you are at risk of going into default if you do not make the repayments required by your loan servicer.

Grace period

Information on repayment of federal loans is available at Federal Student Aid. Your loan servicer can also provide information on repayment. Details are available at Who’s My Student Loan Servicer? | Federal Student Aid. There is a six month grace period on repayment of the Stafford loan once a student has withdrawn, graduated or dropped below half time. There is no grace period for the PLUS loan. The repayment period starts at the time the final disbursement is made, and the first payment is due within 60 days after the final disbursement.

Deferment and forbearance

If you aren't able to start repaying your loans, you may qualify for a deferment or forbearance that will temporarily suspend or reduce your repayments. This could help prevent default, which would impact negatively on your credit rating. Details are available on Federal Student Aid. You may be able to defer repayment if you are enrolled and attending at least half-time at Royal Holloway. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to request an in-school deferment.

Direct loan consolidation

You may be able to combine all of your existing federal loans into one loan, known as a Direct Consolidation Loan. There are no charges for consolidation. This means that you will have only one lender, the US Department of Education, and only one loan repayment every month with flexible repayment options. You may also switch repayment plans at any time. Further details are available here.

When and how will my loan be paid?

Federal loans are paid at the start of the academic year and halfway through the academic year. See dates for the 2023/24 year and the 2024/25 year in the tab Disbursements.

If you have opened a UK bank account, you will need to enter your UK account details on the Convera website to receive your disbursement. The International Advice team will provide you with instructions on how to do that. This will enable the funds to be paid directly to your UK bank account via BACS payment. Information on opening a UK bank account can be found here.

If you have not opened a UK account before the first disbursement, please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk. 

Are private loans from banks such as Sallie Mae and Earnest disbursed the same way as Federal loans?

Private loans such as Sallie Mae and Earnest can be disbursed in one lump sum generally at the beginning of the Autumn term or via two payments in line with the Federal Loan disbursements. Having the loan disbursed in a lump sum will incur more interest, because the entire balance incurs interest when the loan is disbursed. Two disbursements incur less interest.

What exchange rate will be used to convert my Federal Loan?

We will use the market rate from our partner Convera (previously Western Union Business Solutions) on the day we convert your disbursements from USD to GBP. This is when the federal loan is received in our bank account and converted to GBP by Convera.

The exchange rate in the COA is higher to account for any market fluctuations forecasted for the next 12 months. This is done because we need a static rate to calculate the COA in USD. As explained, your federal loan will be converted using the exchange rate at the time of disbursement.

How will my tuition and accommodation be paid?

We will deduct 50% of your tuition and accommodation fees (if applicable) from each disbursement before any remaining credit balance is paid to you.

What if I decide to cancel or reduce my loan?

We will notify you via email approximately 3 weeks before your disbursement is due to be paid to you. This email will show the amount due to be disbursed. You can either opt to reduce or increase the amount (if you have not borrowed the full COA allowance) or cancel the disbursement by emailing usloans@rhul.ac.uk. You must do so before the deadline contained in the email.

Do I have to apply for a new federal loan for each year of study?

Yes, the Cost of Attendance is reviewed annually and therefore the amount you can borrow will change every year.

If you are a returning student, an email will be sent to you over the summer reminding you to submit your FAFSA (if you have not already done so) and checking if you are interested in borrowing further loans.

I need someone to complete my 1098-T IRS tax form, who can do this?

Royal Holloway, University of London does not have an IRS Taxpayer Employer Identification Number (EIN) which is required to complete the 1098-T form.

However, we can provide you a Tuition/Accommodation certifying letter detailing the charges and payments received.

Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk or student-fees@rhul.ac.uk for further guidance and information on this.

Do I have to pay the tuition fee deposit?

If you are in receipt of a federal and/or private loan and you are borrowing enough to cover your tuition in full, this deposit can be waived. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk for further guidance and information on this.

Can I receive part of my loan before I enrol in order to fund the initial costs such as flights and visas?

No, this is because you must be fully enrolled before your loan can be disbursed.

The living expenses on the Cost of Attendance (COA) seems a bit high, do I have to borrow the full COA?

The COA is based on the average cost of halls on campus and the cost of renting privately, while the other items on the COA are based on the average cost of living in the area. You can borrow what you believe you need and you do not have to borrow the maximum COA. If you borrow less than the maximum COA, you can potentially increase the loan at a later stage (up to the maximum COA). Alternatively, you can reduce the value of your loans during the year if you want to do so.

Do I need to submit my loan letter for my Student visa application?

If you are applying for your Student visa from the USA, you do not need to submit the loan letter as US nationals make their visa application under differentiation arrangements (ST 22.1 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/appendix-student). Therefore you are not required to include your financial documents in your application.

Royal Holloway is approved to process applications for US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding subject to Program Approval. Students can only use their VA benefits for a course that has been approved by the VA. Therefore please check to see if the course that you want to study is currently approved by the VA at WEAMS Public (va.gov).

If your course has not yet been approved, the University will submit a request to the VA for program approval on your behalf. In recent years, the VA has advised that there are considerable delays with program approvals for foreign schools due to the complex nature of the assessment. As we can not guarantee that a course will be approved, if you intend to use Veterans Benefits to pay for your tuition and/or living costs, we would strongly recommend that you do not enrol until you have received confirmation that your program has been approved by the VA. 

If you are interested in using your VA benefits to fund your tuition and/or living costs at Royal Holloway, please get in touch with us by emailing usloans@rhul.ac.uk with your full name, Student Id. Number and the name of the course that you will be studying.

Applying to use your US Veteran Affairs benefits

Step 1

The first step is to contact the VA to apply for VA funding at Royal Holloway. You can find information on this at the US Department of Veterans Affairs website. You can use the VA’s GI Bill Comparison Tool to get an idea of the benefits you might be eligible for at Royal Holloway. Once you made your application, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility.

Step 2

Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk with details of your eligibility and course information.  Please include in your email:

• Your full name
• Your Student Id. Number
• The name of the course you will be studying
• Your Social Security Number
• A copy of your Certificate of Eligibility
• Confirmation of the Chapter of benefits you will be using (33 or 35). If you are using Chap 35 benefits, please could you also provide the Social Security Number of the person whose benefits you will be using

Step 3

If your course has not yet received program approval from the VA, we will submit a request to the VA for program approval on your behalf. As explained above, there can be a delay in the University receiving this approval and we strongly recommend that you do not enrol on your course until you receive confirmation that your program has been approved by the VA. 

Step 4

Once you have enrolled on your course, International Advice team will certify your enrolment to the VA.

Step 5

If you are eligible to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), the VA require you to verify your enrolment each month to confirm that you remain enrolled on the same course. You can find information on how to do this on the Enrollment Verification page of the VA’s website.

What if I don’t receive enough VA funding to cover all my costs?

If your VA benefits have not been approved or don’t cover your tuition fees in full, you will be required to pay 50% of your personal fee liability to complete enrolment. You can also consider other sources of funding such as a US Federal Loan or a private loan.

Institutional and Financial Assistance Information for Students

Once a year, we will contact all registered students who are U.S. citizens to provide them with information confirming that the University is a Title IV eligible school that participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan program and key information about this.

Unfortunately students studying at the University are not eligible to receive need-based grants such as Pell Grants.

Individual Copy

We will provide copy of any of the information on this website or that is published by the U.S. Department of Education on request. This includes information on the rights and responsibilities of students and schools under Title IV HEA (Higher Education Act) loan programs. Please contact usloans@rhul.ac.uk to request it.

Contact Information

Our participation in the Direct Loans Program is administered by the International Funding Coordinator, Amanda Ellis. She is part of the International Advice team and located in Founders East 132 at Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX. You can contact her by emailing usloans@rhul.ac.uk or by calling +44 1784 443003.

Financial Assistance Information

Information on all aspects of Federal Aid and US-based private loans is displayed on our US Loans webpage. This covers:

• For information on all aspects of Federal Aid and US-based private loans is displayed at US student loans (royalholloway.ac.uk). This covers:

  • Terms and conditions of the financial aid and the loan amounts available
  • The University is only authorised to provide financial aid for eligible full Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programmes
  • Ineligible programmes including courses that are non-degree programmes including PELP and Foundation courses run by our Partner Study Group; courses that are offered in full or part online, through telecommunications, correspondence or distance learning.
  • Procedures and forms for applying for financial assistance
  • Cost of Attendance and what it includes
  • Criteria for selecting and determining the amount of the award
  • Information on the method and frequency of disbursements
  • Student eligibility requirements including that a student must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible to receive financial aid
  • Rights and responsibilities of students receiving financial aid, including the criteria for standards of satisfactory academic progress, continued student eligibility and how to the re-establish satisfactory academic progress set out in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
  • Withdrawal procedures, refund policies and Return to Title IV Funds Policy (including Leave of Absence Policy) 
  • Terms of loan received as part of the financial aid package, a sample loan repayment schedule and information on the necessity for repaying loans

Student loan information published by the U.S. Department of Education

The University will provide students with information published by the U.S. Department of Education at any time that information regarding loan availability is requested, including information on the rights and responsibilities of students and schools. See Student Aid website for more information.

Institutional Information

Academic Programme Information

Information on our Admissions processes is set out at Admissions policy and procedures (royalholloway.ac.uk) and our Admissions Policy for 2023 is set out here

Details of our current degree programmes are available at Degree course library (royalholloway.ac.uk). The instructional, laboratory, and other physical facilities are included in the degree programme descriptions.

Both the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Prospectuses are available at Prospectuses and brochures (royalholloway.ac.uk)

Institution Costs

Tuition fees vary according to the degree programme. Information on the University’s fees is available at:

• Undergraduate students at Undergraduate tuition fees (royalholloway.ac.uk)
• Postgraduate students at Postgraduate tuition fees (royalholloway.ac.uk)
• Doctoral School students at Tuition fees (royalholloway.ac.uk)

There is also further information on fees at Student Fee Regulations

Information on the cost of on-campus accommodation at the University is available at https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/.

Support for Students with disabilities

The Disability & Neurodiversity Team is committed to providing guidance and support to prospective and current students with disabilities. You can find out more at Disability & Neurodiversity

Refund Policy

The University’s institutional refund policy is set out at student-fees-regulations-2023-24.pdf (royalholloway.ac.uk) clause 61 with further information about how to request a refund set out at Pay my fees - Royal Holloway Student Intranet

Withdrawal procedures and return of funds requirements

The requirements for the return of Title IV funds are published in our Return of Title IV Funds Policy on our US Loans webpage US student loans (royalholloway.ac.uk) at Withdrawals and Leave of Absence. This sets out the procedures for withdrawal. Please note that withdrawing from the University will affect your Federal Student Aid eligibility.

Study Abroad and Exchange

A student’s enrolment in a programme of study abroad approved for credit by the home institution may be considered enrolment at the home institution for the purpose of applying for assistance under the title IV, HEA programs.

Data Protection and Privacy of Student Records

Although the FERPA Act does not apply within the UK, the UK has similar legislation that is designed to protect personal data.

The University receives and processes large quantities of personal information about students. In handling and storing this data, the University complies with our national GDPR legislation. Information on the University’s Data Protection Policy regarding data protection for students and the University’s role in this process is available at Data Protection (royalholloway.ac.uk)

The University will confirm ongoing enrolment and academic achievement with the U.S. Department of Education, as required by Federal Student Aid regulations. By applying for, and accepting Federal Student Aid, students are acknowledging and consenting to this sharing of data.

Safeguarding Customer Information

Details of the University’s cybersecurity policy is available here. There is also guidance for students at Cybersecurity - Royal Holloway Student Intranet

NSLDS

We are required to inform you that if you (student or parent) take out a federal loan, we will submit details of the loan to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This includes details of your enrolment, course start and end dates. This data will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorised users of the data system.

Misrepresentation

The University holds its integrity to the highest standard and will not make any false, incorrect, or misleading statements directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student, any member of the public, an accrediting agency, a state agency, or the U.S. Department of Education. This includes any statement that omits information in such a way as to make the statement false, erroneous or misleading.

Loan Disclosures

Entrance Counselling

All first-time borrowers are required to complete the online entrance counselling for all loans, except for Parent PLUS loan borrowers. This is completed at Entrance Counseling | Federal Student Aid. This must be completed before the University can originate a loan. It can also be completed voluntarily at any time.

PLUS loan counselling is required for all first-time borrowers applying for a PLUS loan. In addition, any borrowers who are informed by the U.S. Department of Education that they have an adverse credit history and have either obtained an endorser or documented extenuating circumstances to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education. It can also be completed voluntarily at any time. It is completed at Entrance Counseling | Federal Student Aid

Exit Counselling

If students graduate, withdraw (with or without notifying the school or drop below half time study, we are required to ensure that you complete an exit counselling session at Exit Counseling | Federal Student Aid. There is further information on this at US student loans (royalholloway.ac.uk)

The information from this is passed to your loan servicer within 60 days, without the requirement for further permission as you gave this authorisation when you signed the promissory note(s).

Master Promissory Notes (MPNs)

This is the loan agreement setting out the terms of the loan, including repayment and interest information. Students must complete an MPN for every year they want to take out federal loans. Undergraduate and Postgraduate students complete the application for Stafford Loans at Completing a Master Promissory Note | Federal Student Aid. Parents of Undergraduate students complete the application Parent PLUS Loans at Apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a Parent | Federal Student Aid and Postgraduate students complete the application for Graduate or Parent PLUS Loans at Apply for a Grad PLUS Loan | Federal Student Aid.

Private Education Loans

It is stated on US student loans (royalholloway.ac.uk) in the section Available Loans that most students at the University are eligible for federal loans and that these are normally cheaper than private loans.

The University does not solicit, make or extend private education loans.

The University does not have a preferred lender list. We are currently only aware that Sallie Mae and Earnest offer private education loans to students studying at foreign schools.

Code of conduct

The University expects that any of its employees who have responsibilities with respect to private education loans, abide by a code of conduct, which prohibits:

• Revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender.
• Receiving gifts from a lender, 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
• Offering funds for private loans.
• Call centre or financial aid office staffing assistance.
• Advisory board compensation.

Default Management Plan

The University has a Default Management Plan that can be viewed here.

Further information

We make every effort to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, however we cannot guarantee that information may not be altered beyond our reasonable control.

If you have a complaint about how the University handles your data, you have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, but we suggest that you contact International Advice at usloans@rhul.ac.uk in the first instance to they can discuss the problem with you and try to resolve it

If you would like further information or advice on Financial Aid for U.S. students, please contact us at usloans@rhul.ac.uk or call +44 1784 443003.

Transfer of credits and articulation agreements

Find out about credit transfer arrangements for undergraduate student exchanges.

List of institutions that Royal Holloway has partnered with.

Our credit transfer policy for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

• FAFSA
• Federal Student Aid
• Guide to the basics of federal student loans
• NSLDS: National Student Loan Data System (ed.gov)
• Sallie Mae
• Earnest