Federal Loan Guidance 2026-27

Disbursement of Loan Funds

Loan funds are electronically transferred from the US treasury to an account held for UEL by Convera. The US Department of Education regulations require the university to immediately deduct your tuition fees. We can then transfer any excess funds on to your personal UK bank account so that you can pay for your other expenses. This process is known as disbursement.

The university will take 50% of your tuition fees from your first loan instalment and the remaining 50% from your second loan instalment. For September start students, the first disbursement will be in October 2026 and the second disbursement will be in January 2027. The exact dates will be included on your Visa Loan Letter.

Loan Funds will not be requested from the US Treasury until the student has arrived in the UK and enrolled for their programme of study at UEL. The following steps must be completed by new students to be deemed a fully enrolled student:

1. Online enrolment
2. Finance check with the Credit Control team
3. Visa check
4. ID card collected

Returning students must have completed their re-enrolment (steps 1 and 2) before loan funds can be disbursed.

Once your loans have been disbursed, and tuition fees have been deducted, any remaining balance will be refunded to you by bank transfer (issued in pounds sterling). Please ensure you set up a UK bank account as soon as you arrive in the UK, and send the relevant details (bank name, sort code and account number) to federalaid@uel.ac.uk. We are unable to transfer funds to non-UK bank accounts.

We can only process your funds on the indicated disbursement date if we have your UK bank account details, therefore any delay in providing your bank account details to us will cause a delay in your funds being disbursed.

Please note that the disbursement date is not the date when funds will be cleared in your UK bank account, it is simply the date that we request funds from the US Treasury. It may take up to 10 working days after the disbursement date before the balance of the loan can be refunded to you. We therefore advise you to ensure that you have brought sufficient funds with you to cover your initial expenses.

Convera

Along with other UK Higher Education Institutions, UEL have opted to use Convera to process our Direct Loans. Convera ensures that UEL can make payments to the students in a timely efficient manner and that we comply with the US Department of Education’s regulations.

Note: We are unable to provide students with an exchange rate. US Dollars are converted to Sterling at Convera’s current exchange rate on the date that US loan funds reach their account.

Residence in the UK

Direct Loans are only available to students who continue to reside in the UK during the entire duration of their programme of study. Students receiving Direct Loans are not permitted to return to the US for anything more than a vacation or family visit for the loan period (e.g. students cannot return to the US to write dissertations or conduct long distance learning).

Paying your tuition fees

As part of your enrolment you are required to meet with our Credit Control team, who will check your tuition fee balance, taking into account your loans. If you do not have sufficient funding in place to cover your full tuition fee you will be required to set up a payment plan to cover the remaining balance. You can find further information on the Credit Control team, including their standard opening hours and contact details at www.uel.ac.uk/discover/professional-services/finance.

Please note, students paying fees from Federal Loans are not eligible for the early payment discount because the full amount is not received from the US Treasury prior to the early payment discount deadline. Students in receipt of US loans are not required to pay a tuition fee deposit (as mentioned in the UEL Fees Policy, which can be found at www.uel.ac.uk/financialservices/stewardship/feespolicy/) in order to secure a place on the programme.

On campus accommodation

On campus accommodation can be arranged through the Residential Life team - www.uel.ac.uk/residential/. Your first loan instalment will not arrive in time for you to secure a place in halls. This means you will need to meet the cost of your deposit and advance rental payment out of your own private funds prior to arrival in the UK. Please note that we do not deduct accommodation payments directly from your federal loan in the same way that we do tuition. Your loan funds, minus tuition, will be deposited in your UK bank account and it is therefore your responsibility to arrange payment of your accommodation out of those funds.

Attendance and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students in receipt of Federal loans are required to achieve UELs minimum standards as outlined in our Academic Regulations in order to be considered as making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to continue to receive Title IV disbursements. SAP is measured in the same way for all students and is applicable for all programme types i.e. Undergraduate and Postgraduate, Full Time and Part Time.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured both qualitatively (grade based) and quantitively (time based).

Qualitative SAP

UK Higher Education institutions do not use Grade Point Average (GPA) to determine grade based SAP. In order to pass a module, Undergraduate students must both achieve an aggregate mark of 40% and also meet the component threshold marks. Postgraduate students must both achieve an aggregate mark of 50% and also meet the component threshold marks in order to pass a module.

If a student’s programme of study is two years or longer, at the end of the second academic year undergraduate students must achieve an aggregate mark of 40% and postgraduate students an aggregate mark of 50% in order to maintain SAP.

Quantitative SAP

All programmes at UEL have a published length of study. In order to be making satisfactory academic progress for the purposes of Title IV eligibility, a student should not exceed 150% of the published time frame for the course and should remain at least half-time status, for example –

3 year undergraduate degree = 3 x 120 credits = 360 credits
150% published timeframe = 540 credits
Pace of completion = 360/540 = 67%

The overall timeframe for completion in the example above is 4.5 years i.e. 3 years x 150%.

Students must maintain or exceed a 67% cumulative minimum pace of progression per academic year in order to maintain SAP, i.e. successfully pass 67% of their credits attempted in each year, for example –

Number of credits attempted = 120
Number of credits successfully obtained = 80
Pace of completion = 80/120 = 67%

For the purposes of Title IV loans there are two payment periods per academic year. The end of each payment period is a SAP checkpoint. We will check individual student status at each SAP checkpoint to ensure that Satisfactory Academic Progress is being met. Subsequent loan disbursements will not be requested from the US Treasury until the student’s teaching school has confirmed the student’s attendance on their programme of study and that they have achieved Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Issues that impact Qualitative and Quantitative measurements

Transfer Credits

If a student has transferred credits obtained prior to joining UEL, the transferred credits that are accepted towards the student’s educational programme will be counted towards their cumulative pace of progression for SAP purposes. Both attempted and completed hours will be counted towards quantitative (time based) SAP. The grading of transfer credits will be reviewed against our Admissions criteria and only accepted if they meet the qualitative component requirements.

Incomplete, Withdrawn or Failed Modules

If a student fails to complete components, is withdrawn from, or fails a module, this will be reflected in the overall module outcome and final grading. ‘Incomplete’ is not a final module grading, and such modules will be treated as either withdrawn or failed, and qualitative SAP will be measured accordingly. Withdrawn or failed modules must be repeated, and this may affect the overall timeframe for completion and therefore quantitative SAP.

Repeat Modules

Repeating modules can affect the overall length of time it takes to complete a programme. In some instances, students may be allowed to progress into their next year of study and complete a single trailing module concurrently. In this instance, the quantitative element of SAP is not affected as the overall timeframe for completing stays the same. If a student fails multiple modules, they may be required to repeat prior to commencing the next level of study. In this case, the overall timeframe for completion is extended and this will be counted towards quantitative SAP.

If a student is required to repeat a module, the retake mark will replace the original module mark.

Financial Aid Warning

For the purposes of Title IV loans there are two payment periods per academic year. These coincide with our 2 main teaching terms (exact dates are determined by our academic calendar which is published on our website) –

Semester A – September - December
Semester B – January - April

The end of each payment period is a SAP checkpoint. We use each checkpoint to review whether students are progressing adequately toward the completion of their programme of study. Both qualitative and quantitative definitions of SAP are measured at each checkpoint. SAP is checked for all students in receipt of Title IV funds (both undergraduate and postgraduate).

If Satisfactory Academic Progress is not being met by either the quantitative or qualitative measure, a student will, in the first instance, be assigned a Financial Aid Warning for one payment period. This will be communicated via the student’s university email from UEL’s Federal Loan mailbox (federalaid@uel.ac.uk). Title IV payments will still be processed for the duration of the Financial Aid Warning period.

Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed again at the end of the warning period and, if SAP requirements are being fulfilled, the student can continue to receive Title IV payments as normal. If SAP is not being met, any remaining loans will be terminated, and they will be considered as ineligible for Title IV support going forward.

Additionally, the timeframe for programme completion cannot exceed 150% of the published duration. This will be monitored at each evaluation point. If we determine that a student is unable to complete their programme within the maximum allowable timeframe permitted under quantitative SAP, they will become ineligible for aid at the first SAP checkpoint at which this is identified (we will not wait for the 150% limit to be reached before applying sanctions). Any remaining loans will be terminated, and they will be considered as ineligible for Title IV support going forward.

Appeals and Probation

If a student is placed on a Financial Aid warning or considered ineligible for Title IV support due to SAP breaches, they may appeal the decision if able to demonstrate exceptional personal circumstances (e.g. bereavement or personal injury/illness). Appeals must be made in writing, submitted via the Federal Loan mailbox (federalaid@uel.ac.uk) within 10 working days of the initial SAP warning/termination notification. Appeals must contain documentary evidence to support their circumstances and demonstrate how their situation has now changed in order to support SAP going forward (including, if necessary, an academic plan).

If an appeal is successful, the student will be placed on a Financial Aid probation for the following payment period/term. Title IV payments will still be processed for the duration of the Probation period. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed again at the end of the Probation period. If SAP is being met, the student can continue to receive Title IV payments. If SAP is not being met, any remaining loans will be terminated and they will be considered as ineligible for Title IV support going forward.

Re-establishing Eligibility After Losing Aid

Students who have lost their Title IV entitlement due to not maintaining SAP (including those with an unsuccessful appeal) may regain eligibility in a future payment period by demonstrating that they are complying with qualitative and quantitative determinations of SAP. Requests for Title IV reinstatement can be sent via the Federal Loan mailbox (federalaid@uel.ac.uk). If upheld, Federal Loan entitlement will be reinstated.

Taking a break (Leave of Absence)

Students should not take a break from studies unless there are exceptional reasons, for example, a serious illness or a forced break due to UEL’s academic regulations, which must be agreed in advance with your School supported with appropriate evidence. All LOA requests must be submitted in writing, signed, and dated. A Leave Of Absence will only be granted if there is a reasonable expectation that a student will return as agreed, otherwise it will be classed as a Withdrawal from the outset.

For the purposes of Title IV support, the number of days a student can be on an approved break/leave of absence cannot exceed 180 days within a 12-month period.

Students will not be charged any additional institutional charges while on a Leave Of Absence and are not eligible for Title IV disbursements during the LOA period.

Additionally, students cannot request additional Title IV funds to cover expenses incurred while on a break in studies. If a student fails to return to studies within 180 days, they will be considered as withdrawn for Title IV support purposes and reported as such via the NSLDS Clearinghouse.

Students are required to return from their Leave of Absence in the same point in their academic programme that they were at prior to taking their Leave Of Absence. If a student cannot resume their studies at the same point in their programme the period cannot be counted as an intermission for Title IV purposes and will therefore be treated as a Title IV withdrawal from the outset. An academic break in studies does not automatically mean that a Financial Aid LOA will be granted. 

Failure to return from a break (leave of absence)

 We will provide an explanation to Title IV loan recipients the consequences of not returning from a Leave of Absence (including changes to loan repayment terms due to the expiration of the 180 day grace period). If a student does not return from a Leave of Absence on or before the agreed return date, this will be treated as a Withdrawal. A withdrawal calculation will take place using the date that the Leave Of Absence began as the withdrawal date.