Federal Direct Loans

Eligibility

To be eligible for federal student aid in a given semester at Western Seminary, students must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program. Since the only federal student aid available to students at Western Seminary is Direct Unsubsidized Loans, financial need is not a factor, but there are many other  basic eligibility criteria  students must meet in order to qualify.

Application Process

To request a loan, please complete the FAFSA (use school code G07178), then complete the Borrower-Based Direct Loan Request form in SIS. First-time borrowers must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note. Western Seminary's loan period is two semesters. All loan requests should be for two semesters, unless the student does not anticipate needing a loan in the second semester. Loan requests can be submitted at any time, but disbursement may be delayed if the request is submitted after the financial aid application deadline. The FAFSA is a free application that helps students determine their eligibility for federal financial aid. The FAFSA is NOT an application for aid at Western. In conjunction with the FAFSA, you must also complete an application for the type of aid you are seeking (including loans) in your SIS account.

Awards

Students may be eligible to borrow up to $20,500 every two semesters. However, Western Seminary recommends borrowing no more than $13,334 in any two-semester loan period and no more than $40,000 total in combined graduate/undergraduate borrowing  at the time of repayment. This applies in aggregate to Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loans, loans that have been consolidated, and Perkins Loans. These recommended loan limits are based on the expected income of a Western Seminary graduate. Students wishing to borrow in excess of these recommended limits will be asked to provide additional information regarding financial resources and future repayment.

Origination and Disbursement

Loan requests will begin to be processed for eligible students during open registration for the upcoming semester. Once a student's loan has been originated, the student will receive an email notification containing important information about the loan. Loan disbursement begins 10 days before the start of the semester, and will consist of half the overall loan amount (in the rare case of a one-semester loan, the disbursement would represent the entirety of the loan). Loan checks usually arrive in the mail the week before the semester begins, provided all paperwork was submitted by the deadline and the student is still eligible when disbursement begins. Upon receipt of the loan check, students should deposit it immediately, as it may take several days for the check to clear.

Paying Tuition

Tuition is due in full by the tuition deadline, regardless of when you receive your loan check. If you anticipate you will not receive your loan check in time, you can sign up for a monthly payment plan and make the first payment.

Loan Default Rate

As of 2019, the loan default rate for Western Seminary students was 0%.