Sources of funding

The University of Kent participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.

Direct Loans are low-interest loans for students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student's education after high school. The lender is the US Department of Education, although the entity you deal with - your loan servicer, can be a private business.

Direct Loans are available to students studying at our Canterbury and Medway campuses in the United Kingdom.

Foreign institutions are not eligible to administer PELL grants or Work-Study funds.

The University is authorised to process US Direct loans for students who are:

1. Citizens or permanent residents of the United States (US) and who have a valid US social security number. 
2. Studying for Bachelor's degrees, First Professional degrees, Master's degrees and Doctoral degrees.
3. Studying at the University of Kent’s Canterbury and Medway campuses .
   

However, there are some exceptions.  The following students are not eligible to borrow US Direct loans:

• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time in the United States. However, there is a narrow exception for independent research carried out by PhD students – please email foreignloans@kent.ac.uk for details.  
• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time at the University of Kent’s Paris Centre for Arts and Culture.
• Students who are registered on the International Foundation Programme.
• Students who are registered on an External / Distance Learning programme of study.
• Students whose programs include study abroad or exchange years.
• The University of Kent does not provide Internships/externships and therefore are not permissible for Title IV.
• Students who are studying for non-degree programs.

These students may be eligible to borrow a US Private loan.

Consolidation

If you have multiple Federal education loans, you can consolidate them into a single Direct Consolidation Loan. This may simplify repayment if you are currently making separate loan payments to different loan holders, as you will only have one monthly payment to make.

However, there may be trade-offs, so you will want to learn about the advantages and possible disadvantages of consolidation before you consolidate. To learn more, visit: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/consolidation

Additional information

For additional information about US Direct Loans:

• Visit The US Department of Education's Direct Loan Program website;
• Or contact us at foreignloans@kent.ac.uk, The Foreign Loans Unit, Student Financial Services, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ, United Kingdom.

Students are able to apply for an adjustment based on unusual or special situations/circumstances. This may include changes to their SAI (formerly EFC), Cost of Attendance and Dependency status. The Financial Aid Administrator can use Professional Judgement to make adjustments appropriate to each students situation with adequate supporting documentation on a case-by-case basis.

Exercising professional judgement is down to the University and is not guaranteed to be approved. Professional judgement decisions are not eligible for appeal.

The Department of Education does not have the authority to override a school's professional judgment decision.    

Students should email foreignloans@kent.ac.uk for further information.

As the following students are not eligible to borrow US Direct loans, they can apply to borrow a US Private Loan:

• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time in the United States. However, there is a narrow exception for independent research carried out by PhD students – please email foreignloans@kent.ac.uk for details.  
• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time at the University of Kent’s Paris centre. 
• Students who have a study period abroad at an institution which is not certified to receive US Federal Direct funds. 
• Students who are registered on an External / Distance Learning programme of study.

We currently administer Sallie Mae Student Loans for US students attending the University of Kent's Canterbury and Medway campuses in the United Kingdom, and our Paris centre in France.

 Information about Sallie Mae private loans can be found at:  https://www.salliemae.com/student-loans. 

Sallie Mae is not endorsed or recommended by The University of Kent. The University of Kent will work with any other private lender you decide, if they are willing to lend to students at a Foreign School.    

The University of Kent has been approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to administer education benefits to eligible students.

Please note: Due to ongoing programme certification delays within the Department of Veteran Affairs Federal Approvals team, we are currently only processing enrolment certifications for programmes which are already approved. 

You can check if your programme is already certified by visiting: WEAMS Public (va.gov) or e-mailing foreignloans@kent.ac.uk.

Veterans can contact their local Veterans Administration (VA) or the Veterans Benefits Administration in Washington DC for more information on educational assistance.

Students in receipt of VA benefits can also borrow US Federal Direct Loans.

Additional information

• Foreign School Information for Students
• Regional VA Benefit Offices
• GI Bill (Veterans Benefits Administration website)

As a Title IV eligible institution, we are eligible to receive Education Awards from AmeriCorps.

These awards can used be towards the cost of education for University of Kent students who are:

1. Studying for Bachelor's degrees, First Professional degrees, Masters degrees and Doctoral (PhD) degrees

2. Studying at the University of Kent’s Canterbury and Medway

To claim AmeriCorps money, you apply online via the AmeriCorps website: https://americorps.gov/members-volunteers/segal-americorps-education-award

Once you have done this, we are notified that you have made your application. We then go the School’s section of the AmeriCorps website to approve your request. When this has been done, we will email you to confirm.

The award money is sent directly to the University of Kent and is used towards the payment of your tuition fees. Students do not receive any of the award money.