Federal Student Aid

1 - Complete a FAFSA

You will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The US Dept. of Education opens FAFSA applications in January for the next academic year. QMU will start processing these in June once US Department of Education Loans systems are updated.

• Apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
• You require a PIN. Apply for a PIN to complete your application: www.PIN.ed.gov.
• Our school code is G33494.
• You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Please review this and make any corrections necessary.
• Email USLoans@qmu.ac.uk to confirm that your SAR is complete. Please note that you need to notify QMU that you have applied for a loan as we are NOT automatically notified once you complete your FAFSA.
• We will download your SAR, provide details of how much you can borrow and guidelines on what to do next.
• Review the details we provide, decide how much you would like to borrow and inform us of your decision.

Continuing students should complete a FAFSA every year using the same PIN as in their initial application.

2 – Complete your Master Promissory Note (MPN)

You must complete a new Direct Loan Master Promissory Note. The MPN is the legal document through which you promise to repay your Direct Loans and any accrued interest and fees to the Department. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loans.

Students at QMU and all institutions outside of the US are required to complete MPNs each year.

The university cannot approve your loan until this has been done.

Although you may have previously signed an MPN to receive Direct Loans, these MPNs cannot be used to make an application for Direct Loans at the QMU.

If taking out both Stafford and a Plus Loan you need to complete both types of MPNs.

• Complete the MPN at www.studentloans.gov.
• You require a PIN. This is the same number as used for your FAFSA.
• Our school code is G33494.
• Complete an MPN for each type of loan you are borrowing (Stafford/ Plus).
• You can print the MPN document and keep it for your records.

3 - Complete Entrance Counselling

Entrance Loan Counselling must also be completed by you so that you have confirmed that you understand the implications of taking these loans.

The university cannot approve your loan until this has been done.

• Complete Entrance Counselling at www.studentloans.gov.
• You require a PIN. This is the same number as used for your FAFSA.
• Complete counselling for each type of loan you are borrowing (Stafford/ Plus).
• You do not have to send evidence of this as we can verify completion online.

4. Credit Check (Grad Plus Loans only).

If you are eligible and it is your intention to borrow a Grad Plus Loan, this type of loan is credit based.

• Complete the Grad Plus application on www.studentloans.gov. This has an option for the Credit Check.
• You require a PIN. This is the same number as used for your FAFSA.
• Our school code is G33494.
• To obtain a Grad Plus Loan the Credit Check decision must be “Accepted”.
• You do not have to send evidence of this as we can verify acceptance here.
• If your credit check is declined you can reapply for a Plus Loan using an endorser.

5. Parent Plus Loan.

This is only for undergraduates classed as dependant on their FAFSA application.

• A parent has to make the application.
• They will need a PIN number for this: www.PIN.ed.gov.
• The borrower (i.e. parent) must complete a Plus Loan application and have an accepted credit check.
• They should complete a Plus Loan Master Promissory Note.

Once you have completed all the relevant documents, we will be able to certify your loans. We will send you a Notification of Loan letter confirming the amounts and approximate disbursment dates.

View the “Direct Loan Overview” for full information and up to date interest charges, fees and repayment rules

Stafford Loan (Subsidised)
This is awarded to students based on financial need. The information you supply on your FAFSA is used to calculate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Your EFC and the amount of your EFA, (Estimated Financial Assistance i.e.any scholarships, bursaries or awards you will receive) will be deducted from your Cost of Attendance to determine your Financial Need. Please note that Graduate/Professional students are no longer eligible for the subsidised element of the Stafford Loan.

The US government will pay the interest on a subsidised loan while you are enrolled at least half time or during a grace or deferment period.

Stafford Loan (Unsubsidised)
This is not based on financial need. Whilst studying at least half time, or during deferment or grace periods you have the option of paying the interest or having it capitalised and added to the total value of the loan therefore increasing the amount you need to repay.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
Parents of dependent undergraduate students can borrow a federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan and can borrow up to the total Cost of Attendance minus all other sources of financial aid their student receives. The loan is the financial responsibility of the parents and not the student.

A parent PLUS loan borrower must meet the same citizenship and residency requirements as the student. The parent must not owe a refund on a federal student financial aid grant or be in default on a federal student loan. Repayment begins within 60 days after your loan is fully disbursed and lasts ten years.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is a federal loan that graduate students with good credit histories may borrow to help pay their educational expenses. A graduate student may borrow up to the total Cost of Attendance less all other financial aid received.

Students must have applied for their annual loan maximum eligibility under the Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loan Program before applying for a Graduate/Professional PLUS loan.

Repayment begins on the date of the last disbursement of the loan and the first payment is due within 60 days after the date the loan is fully disbursed. Graduate PLUS borrowers may receive a deferment while he or she is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at an eligible school.

Private
A private loan is a non-federal loan through a private lender and is usually in the student’s name and requires a cosigner.

Undergraduate students who have been classed as Independant on their FAFSA would need to take up this type of loan if they need to borrow more that the Stafford Loan limits.

The maximum loans that you are allowed to borrow annually and over your academic career are set by the US government. The amount available depends on your degree level and whether or not you have been classed as dependant or independent on your FAFSA.

The maximum Cost of Attendance in 2019/0

You may borrow up to an amount equal to your Cost of Attendance providing that your total loans do not exceed the maximum loans stated above.

The cost of attendance is based on the following:

• For one year postgraduate courses this is calculated on a 50 week period.
• Two year postgraduate courses are calculated on a 40 week period in year one and 50 weeks in year two.
• MSc Speech and Language Therapy is calculated on a 44 week period in year one, 50 week period for year two, and 24 week period to complete the MSc component.
• Undergraduate studies are calculated on a 40 week period per year.

The exchange rate used is 1.45 dollars to the pound. The living costs have been set at a level that would allow students to live comfortably but you may find your own costs to be less or more depending on your lifestyle

The final figure includes provision for origination charges which can be included in the borrowing.

Loan Disbursement
Once your loans have been certified you will receive confirmation of the amounts, disbursement dates and amounts in a Notification of Loan letter. This letter may be used as proof of funding for Visa purposes in line with guidance that accompanies the letter.

• Disbursement 1 take place in mid-September.
• Disbursement 2 is in mid- January.
• Disbursement 3 (for those studying over the summer) is in mid-May.

If you have arranged sufficient loan funds, we will deduct this equally from your loan disbursements to pay your fee in full.

Any remaining amount not used for tuition fees or to cover QMU accommodation will be paid to your UK bank account. We will request your bank account details from you once you have matriculated at QMU.

Students should expect to receive any appropriate funds in their UK bank accounts approximately 10 days after the disbursement date. This delay is due to international bank transfer processes.

To receive aid, including Federal Direct Stafford and PLUS Loans, a student must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be a student enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible programme at an eligible institution.
• Must have a high school diploma
• Must be enrolled at least half-time for the period for which the loan is originated
• Must comply with the University's satisfactory academic progress policy
• Must not be convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving financial aid
• Must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security number
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• If male and age 18-25, must be registered for Selective Service
• Must not be in default on an educational loan and must not owe a repayment on an adjusted federal grant

• Distance Learning*
• Diploma and Certificate Programmes*
• BSc (Hons) in Nursing*
• Non-degree programmes*
• Study abroad/exchange students (apply for loans through your home school)
• Degrees studied via collaborative/partner institutions.

*Students may be eligible to apply for a private education loan.

Upon ceasing enrolment and prior to beginning repayment, Direct Stafford (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) and Direct Graduate PLUS loan borrowers are required to complete an Exit Counselling session.

You are also required to also carry out loan Exit Counselling if you drop to less than half-time, or you withdraw from the University, or leave the University due to transfer, drop-out etc.

The Exit Counselling session provides invaluable information about borrower rights and responsibilities regarding repayment of your Federal student loans.

All students due to complete their studies at the University in the 2017-2018 academic session are asked to complete an Exit Counselling session on the StudentLoans.gov website. This applies even if you intend to pursue a new programme of study in the 2018-19 academic session.

Please "Log In" using your FSA ID  and complete your Exit Counselling session. You will complete a series of short quizzes before continuing through the session. Please note that you must complete the entire session once you begin. The entire session takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Once you have completed your session, the University will retrieve the results of your Exit Counselling. We will record on your student loan record that you have completed the Exit Counselling requirements.

For further information please consult the US Department of Education's Exit Counselling Guide for Borrowers of Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Program Loans

Information on Fees & Charges can be found here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/current-students/current-students-general-information/fees-and-charges/

Information on Funding can be found here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/fees-and-funding/

The University's Wellbeing Service offers support for your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and facilitates building up resilience and healthy living to support you on your journey through University. https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/wellbeing-service/

The Students' Union offers health and wellbeing support https://www.qmusu.org.uk/top-menu/advice-support

The University advises students to learn about alcohol and its effects at https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

And various drugs and their effects at http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Drugshome.aspx

This same site allows students and staff to seek help, which can be anonymously using both web and freeephone.

Queen Margaret University enforces drug and alcohol and smoking policies consistent with UK law and will notify any infringement to the appropriate national and local law enforcement agencies. More Information

Information on the University’s completion and transfer-out rates is available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Due to the very low non-continuation rate, the University is unable to supply a breakdown of completion or transfer-out rates by gender, ethnicity or recipients of need-based Subsidised loans, as this may reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student, which would break the Data Protection Act.

For the latest rates please refer to the links below. In tables where information is available at an institutional level you will find data for the Queen Margaret University in the Total Scotland section.

• Higher Education Statistics Agency
• HESA Non-Continuation Rates

Completion/Graduation and Transfer Out Rates for Students Receiving Athletically Related Student Aid

There are extremely few scholarships linked to athletic sports and therefore the University will not disclose data about the recipients’ ethnicities, gender, transfer-out rate or completion rate.

QMU may disclose personally identifiable information without student consent, but only to the following parties:

• University officials with legitimate educational interests.
• U.S. Comptroller General, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Department of Education.
• State and local officials
• Authorized organizations conducting educational research.
• Accrediting Agencies
• Alleged victim of a crime
• Parent of a Dependent Student as defined by the IRS.
• Parent of a student under 21 regarding the violation of a law regarding alcohol or drug abuse.

In contrast to the exceptions to the notification and record-keeping requirements granted for law enforcement purposes, the University may disclose information pursuant to any other court order or lawfully issues subpoena but will make a reasonable effort to notify the parent or eligible student of the order of subpoena in advance of this compliance, so that the student or parent may seek protective action (unless the court or issuing agency has prohibited such disclosure).

The Student's health records will be kept private and protected, and only disclosed if the student has given express written consent for such a disclosure outside of signing the award letter, this will only occur if the health record is construed to be an educational record (ie. when it is used to make a decision in regard to a student's educational program such as in matters of whether a student should receive extended time for testing; or be exempt from an academic requirement etc). This disclosure will incorporate only the types of disclosure as described in your award letter (i.e. only relating to your studies and attendance status). The University will only disclose personally identifiable information from an education record to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

More information about FERPA can be found here.

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/footer/foi-and-data-protection/

The Data Protection Act 1998 aims to secure individuals' rights to privacy by protecting information that is held about them. Any authority that handles personal data must comply with the data protection principles which control how such data is processed. These principles include, amongst others, that personal data should be fairly and lawfully processed. Individuals have the right to ask for personal data held about them. This is known as a subject access request. Under Freedom of Information legislation a request by an individual for information about themselves will be exempt under freedom of information and will continue to be handled under data protection.

If someone makes a request for information about another living individual, this will be handled under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act, but certain data protection considerations will still apply, for example the authority will not have to provide the information if the disclosure would breach the data protection principles. If the authority decides that it may wish to disclose the information, then it should usually notify the individual and take account of their wishes, although, the authority does not have to be bound by the views of the individual.

Records management is covered by a Code of Practice. The Code provides guidance on records management policies, records management training and the keeping, management and destruction of records, both paper based and electronic. QMU has a records management policy to adopt best practice in this area.

QMU also has a records retention schedule that sets out the periods for which QMU's business records should be retained to meet its operational needs and to comply with legal and other requirements.

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/footer/foi-and-data-protection/records-management/

Queen Margaret University has in place quality assurance procedures and staff to ensure that it does not misrepresent the nature of its educational programmes. Students are assured that the information provided on the website and in the prospectus is not false, erroneous or misleading. This forms the basis of the terms and conditions of the contract between the student and the University entered in to when the student accepts an offer of a place.

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/current-students/current-students-general-information/matriculation-and-enrolment/applicant-and-student-terms-and-conditions/

Our Quality website holds information our quality assurance processes https://www.qmu.ac.uk/about-the-university/quality/quality-enhancement-and-external-context/

The University complies with guidance published by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) on consumer protection law.

Queen Margaret University’s Health and Safety Policy (https://www.qmu.ac.uk/media/5820/health-and-safety-policy.pdf) defines the responsibilities and procedures to be followed by staff and students when confronted by an accident or incident, which includes the disappearance of a student.

Students are requested to provide an emergency contact person during matriculation. This is recorded on the student record and is confidential and covered by the UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Reports of missing students can be made to the University security team:-

• QMU Security: security@qmu.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 131 474 0000

 Or alternatively by contacting the Scottish Police

• By Phone: If it is an emergency and you feel the person maybe at risk of harm, immediately call 999. In other circumstances dial 101
• By a visit to a police office
• Contact with a police officer

Information about any required and recommended textbooks for your course will be provided to you by your department. Should you require specific information about textbooks, please contact the relevant School for advice.

You may also wish to consult with Library Services and the Learning Resource Centre.

• https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/learning-facilities/library/

For information on University governance, regulations, policies and procedures, please visit https://www.qmu.ac.uk/about-the-university/quality/committees-regulations-policies-and-procedures/regulations-policies-and-procedures/.

The University and its courses are accredited by a wide range of government agencies and professional bodies. Information about these is available on a course by course basis via the course information pages on the website and in the prospectus. https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/course-a-z/

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, a complete list of these is available by submitting a request to FreedomOfInformation@qmu.ac.uk (https://www.qmu.ac.uk/footer/foi-and-data-protection/what-is-foi/)

Queen Margaret University is committed to supporting the success of students with a disability. Information on the support, services and facilities available to students with disabilities can be found at https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/disability-service/

The University and the Scottish Government require students on certain courses to be vaccinated or evidence that they have already been vaccinated against certain diseases. Health Clearance checks are undertaken at the start of a relevant course. Should you have any queries or concerns about this, please contact HealthClearance@qmu.ac.uk