Check out our Before You Borrow section for additional information to consider when researching loan options. 

Stafford Loan Resources

Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans

There are two types of Federal Stafford Loans, subsidized and unsubsidized. Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans are given on the basis of financial need. Financial need is determined by subtracting the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), provided from the FAFSA, from the cost of attendance. If your financial need is not fully met through other forms of aid (including grants and scholarships), you are eligible for Subsidized Stafford Loan funds up to the remaining amount of your financial need or up to the loan limits based on your grade level, whichever amount is lower. The Federal Government will pay interest on a Subsidized Stafford Loan while you are in school and during your six-month grace period.

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans

If you do not demonstrate financial need or if your need is fully met by other aid funds, and your full cost of attendance is not met by your other aid, you are eligible for a Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. If you accept the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan you will be responsible for paying the interest while in school or you may choose to let the interest accrue.

Loan Limits 
**Effective 7/1/08, students may borrow a Federal Stafford loan up to the following limits:

Year in School

 Loan Limit

Freshmen

$5,500

Sophomore

$6,500

Junior

$7,500

Senior

$7,500

Graduate

$20,500

Independent students (meeting the criteria set forth here) and students whose parents were denied for a PLUS loan are eligible for additional funding through the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program. Contact your Financial Aid Counselor for more information.

Choosing a Federal Stafford Lender

Selecting a lender is an important decision, and many students and parents have questions about how to choose a lender.  NC State is prohibited by federal law from selecting a lender for you or recommending a specific lender for you to choose.  We can, however, share with you a list of lenders you may wish to consider.  Please visit our Choosing a Lender site for more detailed information about how to select a Stafford lender. 


Certifying Your Loan Eligibility

After you have designated your preferred lender, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will transmit your loan eligibility electronically to your chosen lender. The Office typically waits until late June to send the first loan certifications for the upcoming academic year to allow for any last minute changes in loan eligibility that may result from late scholarship or grant awards offered to students. If this is your first Stafford Loan, you will need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and return that completed MPN to your preferred lender before the loan will be approved. Before the first loan disbursement can be issued to you, you will also need to complete Entrance Loan Counseling if you are a first-time loan borrower. To complete Entrance Loan Counseling, please click here.


Receiving Your Loan Funds

After your lender has received your signed MPN and you have completed Entrance Loan Counseling, your loan will be scheduled for disbursement. If your loan is for the full academic year, your loan will be disbursed in two equal disbursements – one at the beginning of the fall semester and one at the beginning of the spring semester. Because you must be enrolled to receive a Federal Stafford Loan, your loan funds will be credited to your account in the University Cashier’s Office by the first day of classes each semester or as soon as the funds are received, if after the semester has begun. Your loan funds will first offset any outstanding charges you owe the university for the semester, and after your charges are paid in full, a refund will of any excess loan proceeds will be disbursed to you either by check or by direct deposit, depending on how you have designated you wish to receive your financial aid refunds.

Federal Student Loan Information

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the US Department of Education's centralized resource for information about all federal student loans that you have borrowed.  You can find information about all of your current and prior student loans, even those you may have borrowed while you were at a prior college or university.  

NC State University adheres to the Code of Conduct which was created by the UNC system regarding the university's relationship to lenders.  The goal of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is to provide students with information they need to make good decisions about borrowing, and to select the types of loan(s) and the lender(s) that offer the best terms for their particular needs. 

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