Students from USA

Student Experience

"You grow up so much when you study abroad...when you board a plane alone for the first time when you leave everything you ever know when you make that decision. It sounds scary, but it's so worth it. And I'm so glad I picked Wales. Everyone at UWTSD is so involved. They really love Wales and they want to share it with you. All of their weekend trips are spectacular. Also, don't forget to explore the rest of Europe on your spring break or take an impromptu trip to Scotland here and there. It'll be worth it, I promise"! 

Ashley J Woods, USA, California State University at Fullerton (BA Acting)

Ana Martin, South Carolina - Psychology Major

"I have gained so many wonderful experiences while studying abroad; I have come to call Wales ‘home’."

Marie Vernon - Study Abroad, North Carolina - Art Major

"Studying in Wales was a special and magical experience that I wouldn't have given up for anything. I was so lucky to meet many kind people, and right from the first, I felt that I really belonged to the community.
My experience in Wales really made me grow, and, even after I leave, it will remain part of me forever"

Mattie Lanham, Ohio - Education Major

"Wales has found a special place in my heart, I'll never forget the memories I've made and the people that I've met. The students and staff at UWTSD have helped guide and support me through this amazing life experience and I couldn't be more thankful".

Overseas fees can be found here.

US Students 

How to Apply for Financial Aid

To be considered for financial aid, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can apply online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. You will need to make sure that your web browser is compatible.

Please note that UWTSD is not involved in the FAFSA process. If you have any queries regarding FAFSA you should consult https://studentaid.gov/

University / School Codes

One of the final steps in completing the FAFSA is supplying UWTSD’s US Dept of Education federal university / school code.

UWTSD school code: 012341 00 (or G12341)

Private Loans

Students who are unable to take out US federal loans or who do not meet the criteria for a US federal loan can borrow from private lenders in the US. For instance, students wishing to study a course which is not approved for federal US loans (PGCE), or students on distance learning courses based in the US but enrolled on a UK degree course at UWTSD.

We advise that if you are eligible for US federal loans, you investigate these before applying for a US private student loan, as federal loans are often cheaper and most American students are eligible for them. Please note that US private student loans do not enable you to borrow more funds than US federal loans.

The University will work with whichever private lender you decide to use, please be aware that the number of private lenders currently servicing the UK is limited.

• If you wish to apply for a private US student loan, please email us.
• associate degree programs (in the UK these are known as foundation degrees);
• bachelors degree programs;
• masters degree and doctoral programs; and
• first professional degree programs.

Contact details

If you have any questions, you can contact a member of staff about the US Loans at UWTSD

Please email Delyth Lewis: D.lewis@uwtsd.ac.uk

Canadian Students

We administer BC Loans and OSAP.

For further information please contact: Kath Griffiths@uwtsd.ac.uk

Further information on FAFSA

Eligibility

Our eligibility certificate with the US Department for Education permits us to provide Federal Student Aid for the following:

Certificate and diploma programs are not eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Please note that there are some courses that are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. We will advise you if this is the case when we assess your FAFSA. 

The following is a list of the types of courses that are not eligible for Federal Student Aid:

• Courses with a compulsory study abroad year.
• Courses including a mandatory work placement or Professional Placement. This includes sandwich courses.
• Courses delivered at partner institutions
• Distance learning courses.
• Part-time or Low Residency courses.

Programs that do not qualify for Federal Student Aid may still qualify for Private Student Loans.

Study Abroad students

Students here on a Study Abroad programme who are registered at a US university are not eligible to apply for financial aid through UWTSD. You should instead apply to your 'home' university.

How you apply

FAFSA applications for academic year 2021/22 can be submitted from January 2021, however UWTSD will not start processing FAFSA applications until 28 May 2021 – we will deal with applications in the order we receive them.

You must have been offered a place on a course by UWTSD AND accepted that place before we will process your application for Federal Student Aid. We recommend that you submit your application to us no later than 31 July 2021 in order to enable us to process your application in time for you to apply for a visa.

If you are continuing student we will process your FAFSA at a later time as we have to give priority to new applicants who are applying for a student visa for the first time.

Applying for aid

1. Fill in a FAFSA application
2. Check your Student Aid Report

Watch a video for information on how to fill out your FAFSA.

Once FAFSA has processed your information you will be emailed a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR). Please review the information carefully and ensure that it includes an EFC (estimated family contribution) and the details of any previous loans.

If any information is missing or there are comments stating further information is required, you will need to make corrections and re-submit your application. If there is a C shown next to the EFC, further information will be required. Check the comments codes and make any necessary corrections. In some cases we may need to ask you to provide documentary evidence (such as proof of US citizenship).

The electronic version of the SAR should be available to us in 72 hours (3 days) after submittal. 

Please email the Financial Aid Officer to let us know that you have submitted an application so that we can draw down the SAR in a timely manner: d.lewis@uwtsd.ac.uk

Calculated cost of attendance:  If you have been offered a place on a course University and have firmly accepted the offer, we will send you a calculated cost of attendance and details of the loans for which you are eligible, along with instructions on what you need to do next. Please be aware that we will not be issuing cost of attendances to students who have not accepted our offer of a place.

Loan types

The loans available are:

The maximum amount of subsidised and unsubsidised loans is as follows:

Dependent undergraduates (students aged 24 and under):

Independent undergraduates (students aged over 24 or those whose parents are refused a Parent PLUS Loan):

Graduate and professional students:

The lifetime aggregates are $65,500 (subsidised) and $138,500 (combined subsidised and unsubsidised). You may not borrow more than this total amount.

Federal Direct Parent and Grad PLUS Loans may be used as supplemental funding when subsidised and unsubsidised loan maximums are reached.

As always, the total amount you may borrow in student loans for any academic year is limited to your annual calculated cost of attendance minus all other sources of funding.

Estimated cost of attendance at UWTSD

Please note that you are not able to borrow more than your total estimated costs of attendance (CoA).

• Undergraduate courses typically have a 39-week academic year.
• Postgraduate (graduate and professional) courses typically have a 52-week academic year.

This is an estimated cost of attendance. The tuition fees shown above are only for illustration and will vary depending on your course.

the estimated cost of attendance for your course at the start of your application based on the information on your Student Aid report.

Loan origination fees can also be included in the cost of attendance (we include them automatically in the information we will send you).

* Please note that the exchange rate shown is for illustration only and is set once a year for the cost of attendance (normally in May). The actual exchange rate used when processing disbursements will be dependent on the market rate on the day the funds are processed.

Please note you are not able to borrow more than your total calculated cost of attendance (CoA).

1. Confirm the amount you wish to borrow and complete the loan application/s and entrance counselling and credit check (for PLUS loans)
2. a Master Promissory Note for Direct Subsidised/Unsubsidised Loans;
3. a screenshot confirming you have completed Entrance Counselling (please be aware that 'Financial Awareness Counselling' is NOT acceptable) even if you have done it in a previous year – it is good practice to do this every year as it reminds you of your responsibilities in the Direct Loan Scheme; and
4. a PLUS Master Promissory Note and screen shot of the credit check acceptance if you will be using a PLUS Loan,

Return the calculated cost of attendance to us, confirming the amount of each type of loan you wish us to originate, along with:

You do all of this online at studentloans.gov. You sign into this site using the same PIN that you used to sign your FAFSA.

Please remember that if you have been awarded a scholarship from the university to cover all or part of your tuition fees, you will need to let us know about the award at this stage so we can reduce your tuition fee amount on your cost of attendance to reflect your scholarship award.

We don't always know in advance whether you have been awarded a scholarship so your cost of attendance could be calculated on the basis that you are liable to pay the full tuition fee amount. If this happens, you will be wrongly approved for a higher cost of attendance however when your scholarship appears on your account later on in the academic year, we will then have to reduce your loans. We do not have any discretion on this.

Please be aware that as an international student, you may be subject to Maintenance Requirements, please visit this page.

If you do not send everything we need, we will not be able to originate your loans.

1. Loan certification
2. Disbursing (paying) the loan
3. Undergraduate and graduate students will receive two disbursements (one per semester).

When you have completed steps 1 to 3, we will originate your loans on the system and once they are confirmed we will e-mail you a US Federal Direct loan certificate.

In order to ensure that your first disbursement is made on time and that you have enough time to apply for your visa we strongly recommend that you complete your loan application no later than 31 July 2021 for courses starting in September.

For students on a standard, September start, academic year, the earliest disbursement dates will be as follows:

From each disbursement (after it has been exchanged into £ GBP) we will deduct an amount towards tuition, accommodation (if you are in University accommodation) and any other charges incurred, and the remainder will be forwarded to you. You will need to open a UK bank account to avoid having to pay two foreign exchange charges.

You will receive an email notification approximately 14 days prior to each disbursement, in line with Federal regulations concerning your right to cancel. Once the disbursement has been made and we have deducted your fees, you will receive a confirmation of any refund that will be deposited into your bank account with a breakdown of how we have allocated the disbursement.

Please note that it can take up to 14 days after the disbursement date for you to receive your refund. For example, for a disbursement date of 5 October any refund will be paid to you by 19 October.

We work with a Foreign Exchange Provider to secure a competitive exchange rate for each disbursement linked to the market rate at the time. Therefore each disbursement will be for a different amount in £ GBP.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

While in receipt of Federal Student Loans for the loan period outlined on your loan application, you are required to be enrolled on your programme of study and to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress means maintaining an average of at least C grades (50%) over the current academic year. Please note that this is a higher standard than the University's pass mark for undergraduate students. We will check your progress before releasing loan funds.

For more information please refer to our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Withdrawal from your course or suspending study

If you withdraw from your course, suspend your study or drop below at least 50% enrolment, you must inform the Financial Aid office (Student Funds) in the Student Life Centre no later than five working days after withdrawal in addition to notifying your course office.

If a student who receives financial aid withdraws from their course or drops below 50% attendance, we will recalculate your financial aid eligibility based on your period of attendance. This could mean that you have to pay back money received from Federal Stafford or Plus loans you may have received. The University may also have to repay funds received for tuition and/or accommodation to the US Federal Government. In this case you may become liable for additional fee payments to the University in order to replace these funds.

Any calculation will be undertaken in line with the rules set by the US Department of Education and cannot be amended in any way.

Exit counselling

It is a legal requirement that all students who have received Federal loan(s) and have graduated or withdrawn from their programme of study, or dropped below 50% attendance, complete exit counselling. This is done through studentloans.gov. Please go to the site and follow the instructions for Stafford Loan and /or PLUS Loan exit counselling.

Repaying your loans

It is your responsibility to repay your loans, in the same way that you have to repay a bank loan or a mortgage. When you leave your course you will enter a six-month grace period (this does not apply to PLUS loans which go into repayment immediately, but you can request a deferment).  

There are a number of repayment options available and you should discuss these with your loan servicer to determine which is the most appropriate for you. If you do not select a repayment plan you will be placed on the standard plan with fixed repayments for up to ten years. You can find details of your loan servicer on the NSLDS website.

Further details about repayment plans, including interactive calculators can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.