Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
am i eligible for a us federal loan?
In order to apply for the US Federal Loans students must meet the general eligibility criteria set out by the US Department of Education.
Please visit the Student Aid website for more information.
Please note that the criteria above does not apply to students applying for Private Loans.
Am I eligible for a loan?
From 01/07/2026 US Federal loans are subject to a number of changes, full details of these can be found on this link.
Eligibility for US Federal Aid is now split into two categories from the 01/07/2026- Students who were receiving Federal Aid on the 30/06/2026 and continue to be enrolled on the same programme up to academic year 28/29 – These are known as Legacy students and the Eligibility criteria and funding available is detailed below
- New students or continuing students who haven’t previously taken out US Federal loans to fund their studies before the 01/07/2026 – details of the eligibility criteria and funding available is detailed below
If you are a US citizen or eligible non-US citizen, and are
- enrolled with Leeds Beckett university on an eligible programme and receiving Federal Student Aid on the 30/06/2026
- you retain your current eligibility for US Federal Aid at Year 2025 levels for a period of up to 3 years or until the end of your expected time credential for the course you are enrolled in on the 30/06/2026
and
- there are no breaks in study
If you have a break in study e.g. Leave of Absence/Placement Year/Year abroad or if you take longer to complete than the time meant to finish the course, you are currently enrolled on then you will move to the new rules effective from the 01/07/2026.
An example of how your funding would be calculated is detailed in this link.
The University participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programme. You can find out more about the loans programme from their website.
Federal Student Aid – 2026 onwards – new Federal Aid funding
If you are a US citizen or eligible non-US citizen and have firmly accepted an unconditional offer to commence study on an eligible program at Leeds Beckett University, you may be able to receive US Federal Student Aid from the US Department of Education.
The University participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programme. You can find out more about the loans programme from their website.
An example of how your funding would be calculated is detailed in this link.
Eligibility
- To be eligible to apply for Federal Student Aid, you must meet all of the criteria below:
- You are an American national or permanently reside in America.
- You can evidence achievement of a high school diploma or equivalent qualification.
- You are not in default on a previous educational loan.
- You complete entrance counselling and Master Promissory Notes (where applicable).
- You maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- You have accepted an offer to study at the University of Sheffield for the following academic year.
- You are studying an eligible course (*refer to the not eligible programs list below for ineligible courses)
- You are studying Full-time or Part-time
All degree courses with the exception of:
- Nursing
Programmes of study for which we cannot certify US Loans are:
- Distance learning and correspondence programmes
- Postgraduate certificate in Education (PGCE)
- Programmes which have compulsory periods of study abroad
- Foundation programme (unless an integral part of the degree programme)
- Diploma and Certificate programmes
Student studying one of the above programmes or are not entitled to Federal funding may be eligible to apply for a Private Loan. More information can be found on the Global Education website.
The university does not recommend any private lenders, however as far as we are aware there is only one private lender that makes loans available to US citizens. To get more information please click on the link below for GEMS the Smart Option Loan by Sallie Mae.
For courses whether there is a compulsory Erasmus/Study Abroad then the whole course is not eligible for Federal Funding and only a Private loan can be taken out.
If a student choses to have a period of study abroad and the Institute where the course is being taught is not certified to administer the US loans programme, then the student is not eligible to taking Federal loans out for the duration of the time abroad and will only be entitled to Federal Loans to cover the period of time studied at Leeds Beckett.
If the Institution abroad is part of the Title IV US Loans Programme, the student can apply to that institute for their Federal Funding, for the time they are studying there and then to Leeds Beckett for any remaining period of study undertaken at Leeds Beckett.
A student who is enrolled on a programme at Leeds Beckett will not have the opportunity to complete any part of the programme with one of our overseas collaborative partners, as listed in the link below.
Programmes which involve any credited study in the United States are ineligible for Federal Student Aid.
PhD candidates that are intending to perform research in the United States should contact the US loans office for advice before making any arrangements. The basic rule is that independent research done by an individual student in the United States for not more than one year is permitted, if it is conducted during the dissertation phase of a doctoral programme under the guidance of faculty, and the research can only be performed in a facility in the United States and nowhere else outside the U.S.
Programmes which involve any credited study in the United States (US) are ineligible for Federal Student Aid.
PhD candidates that are intending to perform research in the US should contact the US Loans Office for advice before making any arrangements. The basic rule is that independent research done by an individual student in the US for less than one year is permitted, if it is conducted during the dissertation phase of a doctoral programme under the guidance of faculty, and the research can only be performed in a facility in the US and nowhere else outside the US.
What if I'm not eligible for Federal Loans?
If a student is ineligible for Federal Loans, students can look into whether they are eligible to apply for a private loan. Private loans can also be an option for students who enrol on programmes of study that do not qualify for Federal Funding.
Our university does not recommend any private lender.
As far as the University is aware, there are only two private lenders that make loans available to US students completing a degree at a UK institution.
These private loans are available from Sallie Mae Student Loans or Earnest Student Loans.
Further information about the loans is available from their websites:
Sallie Mae Student Loans website
Earnest Student Loans websiteFind out more information on the Global Education Management Services website.
Code of conduct concerning loans
In order to prohibit a conflict of interest with the responsibilities of an agent with respect to private educational loans, all agents at our university with the responsibility for US loans are prohibited from:
- Revenue-sharing arrangement with any lender
- Receiving gifts from lender, a guarantor or a loan servicer
- Contracting arrangement providing financial benefits from any lender
- Directing borrowers to particular lenders or refusing or delaying loan certifications
- Offer of funds for private loans
- Advisory board compensation
