Direct Loans
(formerly federal family education loans)*

• Federal Stafford Loans

  • Subsidized Stafford Loan

  • Unsubsidized Stafford Loans

• Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduates

How to apply:

A student seeking a loan under the DIRECT LOAN program should first obtain a PELL application form (FAFSA) from the College’s Financial Aid Office (Library Building, L-411) and file it as directed (by mail). The student will receive the Student Aid Report (SAR). The student should bring the SAR to the Financial Aid Office and request the loan application from the Financial Aid Office.

FEDERAL STAFFORD LOANS

This program provides low-interest loans totaling up to $23,000 to cover undergraduate work. An eligible Queensborough student who is carrying at least 12 credits and/or equated credits may borrow up to a total of $2,625 for the freshman year and up to a total of $3,500 for the sophomore year. Half-time students carrying at least 6 credits and/or equated credits may borrow up to half. The amount of the loan will be determined by the student’s Effective Family Contribution (EFC). Repayments begin six months after the student graduates or leaves school.

There are two types of Federal Stafford Loans

1. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan: The interest on this type of loan is paid by the Federal government while the student is attending college. To be eligible for the Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, the applicant must: (a) be enrolled for at least half-time study at an approved institution; (b) be a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien; (c) demonstrate satisfactory academic progress; (d) have no outstanding debts from previous loans; (e) show financial need; and (f) file a PELL application to determine the Effective Family Contribution (EFC).

2. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan. The interest on this type of loan is paid by the student while he or she is attending school or the interest is added to the loan. To be eligible for the Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, the applicant must: (a) be enrolled for at least half-time study at an approved institution; (b) be a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien; (c) demonstrate satisfactory academic progress; (d) have no outstanding debts from previous loans; and (e) file a PELL application to determine the Effective Family Contribution (EFC).

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FEDERAL PARENT LOAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (PLUS)

Parents may borrow up to the total cost of education minus other aid for each dependent child.

Satisfactory Academic Standing t oContinue Title IV Awards

In order to be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, for the purposes of receipt of Title iv Federal Student Assistance, an undergraduate student must achieve at least the GPA required for probationary status at the institution; after two years of enrollment at the college, at least a "C" average, or its equivalent, or academic standing consistent with the requirements for graduation; and accumulate credits toward degree according to the following standards:

1. Accumulated credits are equal to or greater than two-thirds of the attempted credits at the institution.

2. Attempted credits are not more than 150% of the credits normally required for completion of the degree.
   (If the standards in paragraph A and B are not met, eligibility may be retained by meeting conditional standards.)

3. For the associate degree, the conditional standard is: accumulated credits equal to or greater than ([.875 x credits attempted] – 21).

Students will be measured against the satisfactory academic progress standard at the end of the spring term to determine eligibility for receipt of Title IV financial assistance for the upcoming year.

Important Notes

1. The attempted credits usually reflect course loads maintained in a student’s permanent record at the college.

2. The accumulated credits should reflect credits that the student earned toward the completion of the degree program in which the student in enrolled.

3. Enrollment in remedial courses will not be included as attempted credits.

4. Withdrawals which are recorded on a student’s permanent record will be included as attempted credits and will have an effect on the student’s capability to meet the appropriate standard.
   
   A Retroactive "non-punitive" withdrawal may result in the requirement for a student to repay any assistance received as a result of the student’s enrollment at the time of receipt of the student assistance.

5. Courses with incomplete grades are included as attempted credits. However, these courses cannot be used as credits accumulated toward the degree since successful completion is the criterion for positive credit accumulation.

6. Repeated courses. Repeated courses can generally be accepted toward degree requirements once. However, each time a student attempts a course, it is included as part of the attempted credit record. Therefore, repeated courses, regardless of the prior grade, reduce the student’s capacity to meet the appropriate credit accumulation
   standard.

7. Appeal procedures. Undergraduate students who fall beneath the conditional undergraduate standard may appeal through the
   normal institutional academic appeals processes. These appeals should be evaluated for mitigating circumstances resulting from events such as personal illness, injury, personal tragedy, changes in academic program, and the reasonableness of the student’s capability for improvement to meet the appropriate standard for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. A successful appeal would result in the granting of a one year probation period for the student to improve the academic record to meet the appropriate standard for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. There is no limit on the number of times a student may follow this appeals procedure.

8. Non-standard admissions situation.

   1. Readmitted students. Upon readmission after a one year period of non-re-enrollment, the student will receive assistance for the terms in the academic year of readmission and will be evaluated for future eligibility at the end of the spring term against the appropriate standard for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. If a student is readmitted after less than one year of non-enrollment, the academic record will be evaluated for satisfactory academic progress under these standards as the record stood at the end of the last term of attendance.

   2. Transfer students. Transfer students, from colleges inside and outside CUNY, shall have their status initialized for purposes of satisfactory academic progress measurement by using the number of credits determined to be acceptable toward the degree as both the students’ cumulative attempted credits and cumulative earned
      credits.

   3. Second degree students. Students enrolling for a second degree shall have their status initialized for purposes of satisfactory academic progress measurement by using the number of credits determined to be acceptable toward the degree as both the students’ cumulative attempted credits and cumulative earned credits.

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