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Loan disbursements

Edinburgh Napier University receives federal student aid at the start of each semester and the exchange rate used to convert USD ($) to GBP (£) may vary throughout the year. When the actual amount in GBP (£) is received, the University will deduct tuition fees before the remaining balance is paid to each student.
 
 

How and when will I receive my federal loan?

Undergraduate students receive two loan disbursements and postgraduate students starting in September receive three loan disbursements. Therefore either one half or one third of tuition fees will be deducted from each disbursement before the remaining balance is paid to the student for living expenses.
 
Federal loan disbursements are only paid in USD ($) and can be transferred into a UK bank account or a US bank account. When you receive your disbursement schedule, you will be asked to complete a bank details form which will be used by our Finance Team to pay any living expenses. Students will be notified by email when the balance has been paid.

You will receive a disbursement schedule from the University once your loans have been approved which will detail your loan amounts and when you can expect each disbursement to be processed. 

The disbursement dates are usually around the following times:

  1. September
  2. January
  3. End May/early June (postgraduate students only)
The disbursement dates are the dates payments will be made to your tuition fees account and it may take a little longer to receive any living expenses into your bank account. Therefore please ensure that you have sufficient funds for the first few weeks of each semester. This is particularly important in autumn as the first disbursement is typically received two weeks after classes begin. 
 
 

Approximately how much will I receive in GBP (£)?

Students must check their Edinburgh Napier University student account to ensure that a tuition payment has been made at each disbursement. The following example indicates how much a postgraduate taught student should expect to receive in GBP (£) for living expenses.

For a postgraduate taught student borrowing the maximum cost of attendance:

  • Tuition Fees £13,520
  • USD ($) Gross: $51,745
  • USD ($) Net: $50,543
  • GBP (£) Net: £36,102 (using exchange rate of 1.4)

GBP (£) Net Loan - £36,102:

  • Disbursement 1: £12,034
  • Disbursement 2: £12,034
  • Disbursement 3: £12,034

Total Tuition Fees - £13,520:

  • Tuition Payment 1: £4,507
  • Tuition Payment 2: £4,507
  • Tuition Payment 3: £4,506

Balance after tuition is deducted:

  • Payment 1: £7,527
  • Payment 2: £7,527
  • Payment 3: £7,528
 
 

Further information

Cancellation Policy

If you wish to cancel or reduce a loan at any stage of the academic year, let us know as soon as possible. Please email usloans@napier.ac.uk clearly affirming if you wish to cancel the entire loan or a disbursement. To reduce your loan, you must clearly state the $ USD amount you wish to reduce your disbursement by. You will then be asked to complete an updated Cost of Attendance spreadsheet and Loan Request Form.

Disbursement conditions

Before the University requests federal student aid from the US Department of Education students must meet the following requirements:

  • Students must be fully registered at Edinburgh Napier University and enrolled at least half-time.
  • If receiving a second or subsequent disbursement: Students must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and attending at least 50% of scheduled learning and teaching sessions. Please ensure you have reviewed the SAP policy.
  • Students must be studying outside of the US. 

Loan deferment

Students are normally eligible to defer repayment of current or previous federal loans whilst they are enrolled on at least a half-time basis.

It is a US Department of Education requirement that Edinburgh Napier University reports student enrolment status during the year. These reports are submitted monthly via The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). NSLDS makes this information available to the US Department of Education, lenders, loan servicers and guarantee agencies.

If you are in receipt of federal loans for a degree programme at Edinburgh Napier University, you will be automatically included in this report until you complete your programme. If you are not in receipt of federal aid from Edinburgh Napier University, but have received federal aid from another institution, please contact usloans@napier.ac.uk as we’ll be able to report you on NSLDS to stop you entering loan repayment while you’re still studying.