If you anticipate enrolling for summer sessions and are receiving financial aid during the regular school year, please think about your budget now.
Federal Direct Loans are limited by your grade level and dependency status to the following annual and lifetime loan limits:
| Dependent (as defined by the FAFSA) | Independent (as defined by the FAFSA) | |||
| Annual Maximum Loan Amount | Total Lifetime Loan Limit | Annual Maximum Loan Amount | Total Lifetime Loan Limit | |
| Freshmen (less than 24 earned hours) | $3,500 | $23,000 | $7,500 | $46,000 |
| Sophomore (24 to 53.9 earned hours) | $4,500 | $23,000 | $8,500 | $46,000 |
| Junior/Senior (54 or more earned hours) | $5,500 | $23,000 | $10,500 | $46,000 |
| Graduate | $20,500 | $138,500 | ||
| Professional - Medical/Dental | $40,500 | $189,125 | ||
| Professional - Pharmacy | $33,000 | $189,125 | ||
| Professional - Health Admin | $33,000 | $189,125 | ||
| Professional - all other | $20,500 | $138,500 | ||
The more Federal Direct Loan funds you borrow during the fall and spring semesters, the fewer loan funds you will have available for the summer session.
Example 1:
If a dependent junior plans to participate in Study Abroad during the summer, below are two possible budgeting alternatives for covering the summer expenses:
| Federal Direct Loan | Private Alternative Loan | ||||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | Summer | ||
| Alternative 1 | Junior | $2,750 | $2,000 | 0 | $4,000 |
| Alternative 2 | Junior | $2,000 | $2,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
If the student budgets loan funds and sets aside $1500 (as done in Alternative 2 above), the student may still need to borrow additional private alternative loan funds during the summer session, but the amount of the private alternative loan would be less than would otherwise be needed. Private alternative loans generally require a clean credit history and/or credit-worthy cosigner. Private alternative loans will accrue interest while the student is in school, but many times payments can be deferred until after completion of the educational program at VCU. Please contact the private alternative lenders for further details.
Example 2:
If a dependent freshman student borrows the maximum loan amount of $2,625 during the fall and spring, and earns at least 24 credit hours by the end of the spring semester, the student will be a sophomore for the summer session. As a sophomore, the student may borrow up to $4,500 annually, so the student could borrow the remaining $1,000 in Federal Direct Loan eligibility during the summer ($4,500 — $3,500 = $1,000).
| Federal Direct Loan (freshman status) |
Federal Direct Loan (freshman status) |
Federal Direct Loan (sophomore status) |
Total Annual Loan Amount |
| $1,750 | $1,750 | $1,000 | $4,500 |
The deadline to submit a request for a FALL ONLY Federal Direct Loan is November 20, 2009 with the following exceptions.
| Group | Last Date |
| D1, D2, D3, D4, P4, PAC/MS | December 3, 2009 |
| DEH Jr, DEH Sr, D.5 | December 3, 2009 |
| M3, M4 | December 3, 2009 |
| D5, D6, D7 | December 10, 2009 |
| M1, M2 | December 10, 2009 |
The request must be received in the Loan Area by the dates specified. Please contact your counselor if you have any questions.
