All Direct Loans are either Subsidized or Unsubsidized. With Subsidized loans, interest does not accrue until after students graduate or leave school. To receive a Subsidized Direct Loan, you must have financial need.
With Unsubsidized loans, interest begins to accrue after the first disbursement. We recommend that students make payments on the interest while they are in school to reduce the total loan balance at the point of graduation.
Many students combine Subsidized loans with Unsubsidized loans to borrow the maximum amount permitted each year.
View the Annual Federal Direct Loan Limits
For more information, view your Direct Loan Borrower's Rights and Responsibilities.
Interest Rate and Origination Fee
View the Federal Student Loans: Repaying Your Loans Guide
The interest rate for Federal Direct Student Loans depends on when the loan was first disbursed. Visit the Federal Student Aid Interest Rates for information about current and past rates. Interest rates are determined each spring for new loans being made for the upcoming award year, which runs from July 1 to the following June 30. Each loan has a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.
The Department of Education charges an "Origination fee" on all Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. The loan fee is a percentage of the loan amount and is proportionately deducted from each loan disbursement. See the Federal Student Aid Loan Fees for the current percentages.
How to Apply
To apply for either the Subsidized or Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, you must:
- Apply for Financial Aid
- Accept your Federal Direct Loan through My Aid Status
- Complete a Direct Loan Entrance Counseling
- Complete a Subsidized/Unsubsidized Master Promissory Note
As long as your requirements are completed, Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans generally take 3-5 business days to disburse to your BARC (billing) account.
Exit Requirements
When you graduate or permanently leave UCSB, you must complete the Direct Loan Exit Counseling. You must complete exit counseling when you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment. The purpose of exit counseling is to ensure you understand your student loan obligations and are prepared for repayment. You'll learn about what your federal student loan payments will look like after school. You will receive a repayment strategy that best suits your future plans and goals.
Loan Cancellation
If you have accepted a student or PLUS loan but would like to cancel it, you may cancel within 120 days of the funds first being disbursed. You may do so by submitting a Loan Cancellation/Reduction Form to our office. This is found in the Forms tab of our website. If you cancel within 120 days, you do not have to pay interest or the loan fee on the part of your loan that is cancelled. Loans cancelled with our office will be charged back to your student BARC account for repayment. We will notify your loan servicer of the cancelled loan. After 120 days, please contact your loan servicer for guidance on how and where to return your loan money. You will be responsible for any interest that has accrued from the date of disbursement. Please note that you should not cancel your loan with our office and must repay your loan servicer.
Repayment
Repayment for subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loans begins six months after a student leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment. Information about your loans will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system. Please visit StudentAid.gov to view your borrowed loan amounts, disbursement dates, and who your federal loan servicer is as well as their contact information. The federal loan servicer is assigned by the Department of Education, and they handle matters related to billing and repayment of your loans. If you have questions about changing your repayment plan, loan consolidation or if you qualify for loan forgiveness please talk to your servicer.
We suggest you utilize Federal Student Aid’s Repayment Estimator while you are in school to see approximately how much a month you will owe post-graduation.