Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, participates in The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, where the U. S. Department of Education is the lender. Subsidized loans were no longer available to graduate students as of July 1, 2012. All loans for graduate-level study will either be unsubsidized or Graduate PLUS loans. All Direct Loans are serviced for repayment by one of several contracted federal loan servicers. The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the official website with information about your Federal Student Loans and your loan servicer(s), including contact information.

General Requirements/Regulations

• Eligibility: You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Your FAFSA results for the applicable financial aid year must be on file in the CTSFW Financial Aid Office. Our financial aid year begins in September and ends the following summer.
• You must submit a CTSFW Financial Aid application.
• You must be enrolled in an eligible program at least half-time in order to qualify for a federal student loan. Half-time status is 6 credits per quarter for MDiv and AR; 4.5 credits per quarter for MA and MA in Deaconess Studies (Residential); 3 credits per quarter for DMin, STM, PhD and MA in Deaconess Studies (Distance). For continued eligibility, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Consult the CTSFW academic catalog for details about SAP for your program of study.  In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, a student must:

1. Maintain the minimum required cumulative grade point average for one’s program (see CTSFW academic catalog)
2. Complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours each quarter
3. Complete enrolled program in no more than 150% of the normal length of the program measured in terms of attempted credit hours divided by the number of required credit hours for program completion.

The Loan Application Process

Part 1 – Application and Verification

• Complete, sign and return the Direct Loan Award offer enclosed with the award letter that was sent to you. Remember to indicate the amount you want to borrow. Please do not attempt to apply through a private lender website; all Direct Loans must be originated through the Financial Aid Office.
• The Department of Education has adopted a policy of customizing the verification process to the individual student. If you are selected for verification, we will let you know what additional verification information you will need to provide to the CTSFW Financial Aid Office.
• The Department of Education is more likely to select your FAFSA for verification if you do not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or file your FAFSA using estimated figures. Click here for more information.

Part 2 – Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note

• First-time borrowers at CTSFW must complete Entrance Counseling at www.studentloans.gov. You must sign in with your FSA ID and password before you can begin Entrance Counseling. The Financial Aid Office will receive the results electronically.
• You must also sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN), and this is also done at www.studentloans.gov. You must sign in with your FSA ID and password before you can begin the MPN.  Please note: This step is unnecessary if you have previously signed a MPN with the US Department of Education and received a Direct Loan disbursement within the past 10 years, even as a student of another school. You need not submit a paper copy of your MPN to our office.  However, we suggest that you keep a copy for your own records.

Part 3 – Loan Disbursement

• The Financial Aid Office will certify your loan eligibility and transmit your loan information to the US Department of Education. Your loan money will be disbursed electronically to your CTSFW student account at the beginning of each quarter. Remember that a 1.057%* origination fee is deducted from each disbursement of an Unsubsidized loan; a 4.228% origination fee is deducted from each Graduate PLUS loan disbursement.
• Funds left over after your bill is paid can be withdrawn and used for living expenses each quarter.
• We highly recommend that you sign a Credit Balance Form (click here) and return it to the Financial Aid Office so that your excess funds will remain in your student account until you withdraw them.  Otherwise, excess Federal Student Loan funds will be sent to you automatically by check each quarter, whether or not you need them or request them.

*Rates are effective until October 1, 2024

How Much to Borrow

It is best to borrow only what you need in order to minimize the amount you will have to pay back after you graduate.  Some experts have suggested as a rule of thumb that you borrow no more than what you expect your starting salary to be when you graduate.  If you borrow twice the amount of your expected income, you could be at risk of defaulting on your student loans.  However, some repayment plans offer loan forgiveness after a set period of time for those who qualify.  For more information on loan repayment, see the paragraph below, “Repaying your Loan.”

The annual maximum loan amount that graduate students can borrow through the Direct Loan Program is $20,500 per year. Additional loans can be borrowed through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program (see below).

Graduate students are no longer eligible for Subsidized loans and can only receive Unsubsidized loans. With an Unsubsidized loan, the interest accrues while you are in school from the first day of the loan disbursement, although you may defer interest payments until after you graduate from school. Normally, the interest is added to your principal balance through a process called capitalization. Repayment is deferred during your vicarage or deaconess internship year because it is a required part of your program. Unsubsidized loans can replace EFC, so you are eligible for a loan even if you have no demonstrated need. The interest rate for Unsubsidized loans is 6.54%.**

You can increase or decrease the amount of your loan as the year progresses. Remember that the amount you indicate on your Direct Loan Award sheet represents the amount you want to borrow for the entire financial aid year. The actual disbursement of this amount will be credited to your student account in payments divided equally among the quarters that you are attending school (at least half time status)—usually in thirds (Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters). Please indicate on your Direct Loan Award sheet if you plan to attend summer sessions and would like to receive a loan payment for the Summer Quarter.

**Rates are effective until June 30, 2024

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan—In some cases, additional amounts can be borrowed through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program. Your credit must first be approved by the US Department of Education. Graduate PLUS loans are available even after you have reached your Unsubsidized borrowing limit, but must either satisfy demonstrated need relative to your Cost of Attendance or replace your EFC. Contact the CTSFW Financial Aid Office if you believe that you will need a Graduate PLUS loan. Graduate PLUS loans require a new Master Promissory Note in addition to the one submitted for Unsubsidized loans. New Entrance Counseling will be required, as well. Go to www.studentloans.gov to complete a Graduate PLUS application. Interest rate: 7.54%***

***Rates are effective until June 30, 2024

The Loan Period

You may borrow for the academic year (Fall/Winter/Spring), for the Summer Quarter or for any combination of terms in which you attend classes at least half time.

Loan Delivery Dates for 10 Week Classes

Loan Delivery Dates for Graduate Intensive Classes (PhD, STM)

Returning Extra or Unused Loan Funds

The Financial Aid Office sends a notice at least two weeks before the next loan period payment is made. The student is asked to respond to that notice if he or she wants to change the scheduled loan disbursement amount. The CTSFW Financial Aid Office will cancel any unwanted loan funds prior to the day of disbursement if the student notifies the Financial Aid Office in writing or by email. Once a loan disbursement has been made to the student’s account, the Financial Aid Office is not obligated to return the funds to the lender, and the student will need to make other arrangements to return unwanted loan funds through his or her own loan servicer(s). Students are often able to return funds to their loan servicer(s) by ACH debit from their checking or savings account. Contact your loan servicer to find out the best method to return unused funds. Loan funds returned before 120 days after disbursement will not have any fees and interest charged. Contact information for loan servicers is found on the NSLDS website. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have questions.

Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities

Your MPN includes a list of your rights and responsibilities as a borrower.

Exit Counseling

Before you graduate, leave school (by withdrawal or leave of absence) or drop below half-time status, the U.S. Department of Education requires you to complete Exit Counseling in order to review your student loan responsibilities when you are no longer a full time student. You must do this through the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) website www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA. You will need your FSA ID and password to log on. Normally, you should complete your Exit Counseling during your last quarter of being a full time student here at the Seminary (or after you complete a delayed vicarage or deaconess internship). After completion you will get an electronic confirmation with the same confirmation coming to the CTSFW Financial Aid Office.

Managing your Debt

Knowing how much you have borrowed in Federal Student Loans is critical in managing your financial future. To obtain this information, we recommend that you visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Student Access website www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA. NSLDS provides a central database for student aid and allows students to access information valuable in managing their Federal Student Loans, such as the amount of debt you have and the loan servicers to whom your payments are due. You will need your Federal Student Aid PIN to access this website.  Managing your debt is your responsibility, and the NSLDS website is a helpful tool in addressing your debt.

Repaying your Loan

You will be required to begin loan repayment within six months after you graduate, leave the Seminary or drop below halftime enrollment. Vicarage and deaconess internship should not cause your loans to go into repayment since you are still considered a student. Please contact your loan servicer if you receive payment notification during your vicarage or deaconess internship year.

There are several repayment plans available: Standard, Graduated, Extended, Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn, Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) and Income-Sensitive Repayment. The repayment period can vary in length of time from 10 to 25 years, depending upon the plan you choose. Please go to the Federal Student Aid website to review your options.  For information on whether or not you may qualify for loan forgiveness in the Income Based Repayment (IBR) or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plans, please click here or visit www.studentloans.gov. According to the Federal Student Aid website, if you work for a non-profit organization, your employment will not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness for time spent in duties related to religious instruction, worship services or any form of proselytizing.

Remember that extending your repayment plan or decreasing your monthly payment amounts usually increases the interest you pay over time. Go to Repayment Plans and Calculators for more information about the various repayment plans and to calculate your estimated repayment amount under each of the different plans. To learn about student loan consolidation, please click here.

If you experience economic hardship or other circumstances that limit your ability to repay your loan, you may qualify for a deferment or forbearance. A deferment allows eligible borrowers to postpone payments for certain reasons as long as they are enrolled on at least a half-time basis in a post-secondary school, graduate fellowship or rehabilitation training program. Deferments of up to three years are also available if borrowers are unemployed. Remember, your interest continues to accrue while you are in deferment.

Borrowers who do not qualify for a government-approved deferment can request forbearance from their loan servicer. Forbearance can delay or reduce monthly payments. Usually, however, borrowers must still pay the interest on their loans during the forbearance period.

Note: If you fail to repay your loan, you will be considered in default. If this occurs, your credit rating will be damaged, and you may not be able to borrow in the future to pay for a car, a home, or even to continue your education. Your wages may be garnished, and your federal and state income tax refunds may be withheld; your loan may be sent to a collection agency, and you will be liable for collection fees. Please contact your loan servicer if you begin to have trouble repaying your student loans.