Federal Loan Types

U.S. Federal Loans are available to qualifying degree-seeking students through the Office of Academic Affairs in New York. Graduate students who will be applying for federal loans are encouraged to begin the process as soon as possible.

For complete information regarding federal loans including application process and repayment, please refer to the Federal Student Aid Program with the Department of Education at: http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/students.html

AVAILABLE FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAMS

Stafford Subsidized Loans

• Are awarded based on financial need, with a current limit of $8,500 per year for full-time students. You will not be charged interest before you begin repayment or during periods of deferment. The federal government "subsidizes" the interest during these periods of times.

Stafford Unsubsidized Loans

• Are not awarded based on financial need, with a current limit of $12,000 per year of full-time students. Any eligible student can take out unsubsidized Stafford loans. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until the loan is repaid in full.

Supplemental Loans

Most of our students do not require supplemental loans like the GradPLUS loan. However, eligible U.S. students may choose to apply for this type of loan once they have exhausted the Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, pending approval by the Office of Academic Affairs. The GradPLUS Loan allows students to borrow the total cost of their graduate program needs, including tuition, room and board, supplies, lab expenses and travel. This loan serves to supplement the Stafford loans in case they do not cover all expenses.

Private Loans

For your convenience TAU has partnered with Sallie Mae Servicing to provide additional private loans to qualifying students. To apply through Sallie Mae for student loans please visit their TAU webpage at: https://www.salliemae.com/student-loans/smart-option-student-loan/

*Interest rates are variable but will not exceed 8.25%. Rates are determined each July*

*To get an early estimate of your eligibility for Federal Student Financial Aid, please visit: https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm*

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To qualify according to US Federal Aid guidelines, a student must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Be enrolled in a full-degree program at Tel Aviv University
• Be enrolled at least half time (a minimum of six credits per semester)
• Meet satisfactory academic progress
• Comply with Selective Service Registration, if required
• Must not be in default on a federal student loan or owe payment on a federal student grant
• Be below the aggregate borrowing limit ($65,500 Base Stafford Loans for graduate students)

APPLICATION & RENEWAL

First-Time Borrowers

STEP 1 - You will need to gather some personal paperwork as well as the appropriate IRS tax forms. We strongly recommend that you do your taxes prior to filing your FAFSA. If possible, do them using estimates so that you can file your FAFSA as early as possible.

STEP 2 - File the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov . The information you report is used to determine your eligibility for subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS Stafford loans.

STEP 3 – Select the correct Federal School Code for Tel Aviv University:  G08373

STEP 4 - Complete the MPN (Master Promissory Note) at https://studentloans.gov. Your loans cannot be approved, disbursed, or adjusted until you complete this step. Note that TAU is currently set up for electronic transmission (e-MPN).

STEP 5 - Go to https://studentloans.gov to fill out a mandatory loan entrance course. It is a 20 minute process and is required of all borrowers.

• After all steps are completed, TAU will review the results and inform you about your loan eligibility.

Returning Borrowers

• If you have borrowed Stafford loans before and wish to continue receiving federal aid, you must complete the following steps:

STEP 1 - You must file a Renewal FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov before the start of each academic year.

STEP 2 - Select the correct Federal School Code for Tel Aviv University:  G08373

STEP 3 - You must re-submit your MPN at: https://studentloans.gov.

STEP 4 - Go to https://studentloans.gov to fill out a mandatory loan entrance course. It is a 20 minute process and is required of all borrowers.

DISBURSEMENT

In most cases, your loan will be disbursed in two installments to Tel Aviv University. If you have an outstanding balance with Tel Aviv University at the time of disbursement, your loan funds will be used to pay your debt first. A reimbursement for the remainder, if any, will be sent to your permanent address in the U.S. within approximately 2 weeks. To facilitate this process, students are required to submit a signed Limited Power of Attorney to the OAA.

TAU 2011/12 Disbursal Schedule:

1^st Disbursal - Late August (for programs that start in July)

1st Disbursal - Late October (for programs that start in October)

2^nd Disbursal - Late February (for all programs)

A wire transfer of funds to any bank account is also possible. The student must provide his/her bank account number, routing number, swift code and the bank name and address. There is no fee for the 1^st wire transfer. There is a $40 fee for multiple wire transfers, which will be deducted from the disbursement amount.

CANCELING YOUR LOAN

TAU will notify you in writing whenever it credits your account with your loan proceeds. You may cancel all or a portion of your loan if you inform your school that you wish to do so within 14 days after the date TAU sends you this notice.

REFUND POLICY

Students who have paid tuition for the semester, and have a positive balance, will receive a refund, dependent upon the date of official withdrawal.  The date will determine the amount of money to be refunded to the Department of Education.

The federal government mandates that students who withdraw from all classes on or before the 60 percent point in the term may only keep the financial aid they have “earned” up to the time of withdrawal.  Students who withdraw will have their tuition charges adjusted and may have to refund financial aid dollars to the appropriate Title IV student aid sources, as required by federal law.

To determine the amount of aid the student has earned up to the time of withdrawal, the University will divide the number of calendar days the student attended classes by the total number of calendar days in the semester (less any scheduled breaks of five days or more).  The resulting percentage is then multiplied by the total federal funds that were disbursed (either to the student’s university account or to the student directly by check or direct deposit) for the semester.  This calculation determines the amount of aid earned by the student, which he or she may keep.  The unearned amount (total aid disbursed less the earned amount) must be returned to the federal government by the University or the student.  The University will notify and provide instructions to students who are required to return funds to the government.

Funds that are returned to the federal government are used to reduce outstanding balances in individual federal programs. Financial aid returned by the school must be allocated in the following order:

1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
2. Federal Direct Subsidized  Stafford Loan

Student whose circumstances require that they withdraw from all classes are mandated to contact or meet with the financial aid office prior to withdrawal.

REPAYMENT

The normal repayment for the graduate Stafford loan is 10 years. You may be able to extend repayment by deferring or consolidating your loans. You may choose one of the following plans:

• Standard Repayment: requires you to pay a fixed amount each month-- at least $50 or the interest that has accrued.
• Graduated Repayment: sets your payments lower at first and then increases them over time. Each of your payments must equal the interest accrued on the loan between scheduled payments.
• Income-Sensitive Repayment: bases your monthly payment on your yearly income and your loan amount. Payments may change as your income rises or falls.
• Extended Repayment: is for borrowers with loans totaling more than $30,000. This plan offers a choice of fixed or graduated payments over a period of up to 25 years.

*For all repayment guidelines please refer to the information provided by your lender or by the U.S. Department of Education.