US Student Loans

Through ongoing policy reviews based on requirements of the United States William D Ford Direct Loan Program, the University of Alberta has made a firm decision, effective immediately, to discontinue participation in the Direct Loan Program. Note that the University of Alberta also does not participate in private lending programs (i.e. Sallie Mae) or Veterans’ Affairs G.I. Bill funding.

To facilitate transition, continuing University of Alberta students who received funding during the 2011/2012 academic year will be eligible to apply for funding through the Direct Loan Program (subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS loans) for the 2012/2013 academic year only. You will not be able to access funding through this program for the 2013/2014 academic year. New students to the University of Alberta and continuing students who did not receive funding in 2011/2012 through the Direct Loan Program will be unable to access funding going forward.

If you are an eligible continuing borrower and would like to borrow again for the 2012/2013 academic year, please contact us via email at usloans@ualberta.ca. The process for borrowing remains the same as previous years and is summarized below.

Please visit the Federal Student Aid Direct Loan website at www.studentloans.gov and complete:

1. The FAFSA, ensuring that you list the University of Alberta; please also complete the sections for ParentPLUS or GradPLUS if you intend to apply for either of these;
2. A Master Promissory Note for all borrowers (including parents borrowing ParentPLUS loans for their student); and
3. Entrance Counselling. All students, regardless of year of study or program, must complete entrance counselling.

As a foreign school we do not receive a copy of your FAFSA or SAR electronically, despite what it says on the FAFSA website. Once you have completed the FAFSA, MPN(s) and Entrance Counseling, please send an email to usloans@ualberta.ca advising them of this along with your full name, date of birth, social security number and, in the case of dependent undergraduate students, the names of your parents.

Please note that as always, any student requiring confirmation of admission, registration, or any other detail of their University of Alberta program is assisted through our normal enrolment confirmation processes.