Financial Aid and Scholarships

All federal student loans are originated and funded by the U.S. Department of Education; there are no private banks involved. All students and parents wishing to borrow a Federal Direct Loan are required to sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the Department of Education. You can complete this process at www.studentloans.gov.

Once the loan is fully disbursed, the Department of Education will transfer your loan(s) to one of five servicing partners:

• Sallie Mae
• Nelnet
• ACS
• Great Lakes Higher Education Corp.
• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency

It is best practice to keep all documentation and correspondence on your loans. If you need assistance locating the holders of your loans, log onto www.nslds.ed.gov using your FAFSA PIN.

Below are some helpful links to information about the Federal Direct Loan program:

• The Federal Direct Loan Program
• Master Promissory Note (Required for all Federal Direct Loans)
• Online Entrance Counseling (Required for Federal Direct or Graduate PLUS Loans)
• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) (Direct Loan History)