Eligibility

You must meet the criteria set by the US Department of Education in order to be eligible for US federal loans.

The eligibility criteria are subject to change at the US Department of Education's discretion and are beyond Ravensbourne's control.

You should check the latest eligibility criteria on the federal student aid website.

In addition to the criteria specified on the federal student aid website, you must also:

  • Be enrolled at least at a half-time rate at Ravensbourne for the duration of your course
  • Be studying an eligible, degree-bearing course, Bachelor's degree programme or Master's degree programme
  • Make satisfactory academic progress during your course
  • With limited exceptions, undertake your study within the UK.

Enrolment

You must remain enrolled at least at a half-time rate at Ravensbourne. We will only be able to request your loan funds from the US if you are enrolled for a minimum of 7 calendar days before each disbursement date.

If you suspend, withdraw or drop below half-time enrolment then you must email [email protected] immediately. You should also read our suspend or withdraw page.

Ineligible courses

There are restrictions on the institution's ability to offer federal loan funds to students on certain courses. Ineligible courses are those which are either: less than half-time; not degree-bearing; include any online element; or involve distance learning.

This change to US law was made by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA) that came into force on 1 July 2006. The international team will advise if your course is ineligible when you submit your loan application.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

To continue receiving loans both throughout the year and each successive year, students must demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progression (SAP).

For loans purposes, if a student fails any part of their programme and is required to retake this, they cannot receive federal loans.

Once the failed unit(s) are cleared, and the student is deemed to have 'progressed', loan borrowing can resume.

View Ravensbourne's satisfactory academic progress policy.

Undertaking study or research outside of the UK

It is not normally possible for students in receipt of US federal loans to undertake any part of their study or research in the US.

If you are taking part in a study abroad programme, please email [email protected] immediately, as this may affect your eligibility for US federal loans.