Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid

Purdue Global's school code is 004586.

Information regarding Pell Grant funds can be found on the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid page.

View a video about Pell Grants.

Information regarding loan amounts and loan limits can be found on the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid page.

View a video about Federal Direct Student Loans.

Federal grant eligibility varies based on your enrollment status and is limited to students in undergraduate programs.

To be eligible for federal loans, undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 quarter credit hours per term. Graduate students enrolled in programs that consist of 10-week terms must be enrolled in at least 4 quarter credit hours per term to be eligible.

View a video about enrollment status and Federal Direct Loans.

Your eligibility for private loans and insurance will be determined independently by the company in question. Many insurance agencies will require students to be enrolled "full time" to qualify for full coverage, but you should contact the appropriate provider to ensure that you understand how your status at Purdue Global will affect your eligibility.

Please note that full-time status at Purdue Global requires enrollment in 12 quarter credit hours per term for undergraduate students, 8 quarter credit hours per term for graduate students enrolled in programs on a 10-week schedule.

You should think about a number of things. First, to be eligible for federal financial aid your enrollment status impacts federal grant amounts and the number of credit hours you take impacts your eligibility for federal loans.

Second, some loan and insurance companies require that their customers who are college students be enrolled as full-time students to qualify for assistance (at Purdue Global this means enrollment in 12 quarter credit hours for undergraduate students and 8 quarter credit hours for graduate students.

Therefore, if these are important to you, you should consider taking enough courses to meet the requirements. Please keep in mind that the more courses you take in a term the more coursework you will need to complete. Be honest with yourself. Think about the course load you can handle to achieve the high academic standards you set for yourself. If you are unsure of how many courses to take per term, discuss it with your Student Advisor.

The Department of Education (ED) established regulations to prevent fraud and abuse in the federal student aid program by identifying students with unusual enrollment histories (UEH). Some students who have a UEH have legitimate reasons for their enrollment at multiple institutions. However, once a student is identified as having UEH by ED, the University is required to evaluate the student’s academic transcripts and financial aid disbursements to determine their eligibility. It is important to note that a student can trigger UEH by not only switching institutions but also switching programs within an institution.

A conflict code (C-code) of 276 (UEH Flag 2) or 277 (UEH Flag 3) will show up on a student’s FAFSA Submission Summary if the Department of Education believes the student has a UEH. If the conflict code 276 or 277 is reflected on your FAFSA Submission Summary, federal Title IV student aid cannot be disbursed until it is resolved.

View a video about Unusual Enrollment History.

Once Purdue Global has identified that you have a conflict code of 276 (UEH Flag 2) or 277 (UEH Flag 3) on your FAFSA Submission Summary, the school is required to review your complete enrollment history for any school attended for the last 4 award years.

The documents that are requested from you will vary depending on your reason for not earning academic credit during the specified time frame that the Pell Grant was received. Examples of additional documents may include a doctor’s note or hospital bill if you were ill, confirmation of change of address if you had to relocate, proof of unemployment if you became unemployed, a death certificate if there was a death in the family, or a military order if you had a military obligation.

Although you may have submitted transcripts to the Purdue Global Office of the Registrar, the Student Finance Office may request additional transcripts or grade reports from you for each of your previously attended institutions. This is needed so we can determine whether or not academic credit was earned during the award year in which Pell Grant funds were disbursed.

If you wish to decline or cancel the amount of your loans awarded, you must notify Student Finance by sending an email to FAStudentSupport@Support.PurdueGlobal.edu. At the time your student loans are disbursed, you will receive a notification from us when your loan funds are posted to your student account. You will also be provided an opportunity at that time to decline, cancel, or reduce your loan amount.

We encourage students to only borrow what is needed to attain their educational goals. The Decrease Award Form is available for students to complete if they wish to decrease or decline loans.

Requests are valid for the current academic year only. New requests will need to be made for any future academic years or loan periods.

Federal Direct Student Loans are fixed-rate educational loans sponsored by the federal government. Two types of federal Direct Student Loans are available to undergraduate students: subsidized and unsubsidized. Graduate students are eligible for Unsubsidized Direct Student Loans and Graduate PLUS loans.

Also, visit U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid to find additional information on federal student loans.

View a video about Federal Direct Student Loans.

Subsidized loans: the U.S. Department of Education pays the interest while you are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education.

Unsubsidized loans: You are responsible for paying all interest that accrues after disbursement. You have the option of capitalizing the interest while in school and deferment periods or repaying the interest while in school on a quarterly basis.

View a video about types of federal student loans.

Federal Direct Student Loans carry a net origination fee. The fees apply to both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. This means you will not be receiving checks for the full loan amount. Visit the U.S. Department of Education site for Federal Direct Student Loan and Plus Loan fees.

For the most up-to-date information regarding Federal Direct Student Loan interest rates, please visit the U.S. Department of Education.

The amount you may borrow is determined by several factors:

• Grade level and year in school (undergraduate or graduate/first year, second year, etc.)
• Classification: dependent or independent student
• Cost of attendance
• Other financial aid received

Note: The Student Aid Index (SAI) does not affect the Federal Direct Student Loan amount a student may borrow; however, it may affect the classification of subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

Annual Federal Direct Loan Limits

• First-year student: $5,500 (dependent), $9,500 (independent)
• Second-year student: $6,500 (dependent), $10,500 (independent)
• Third- and fourth-year student: $7,500 (dependent), $12,500 (independent)
• Graduate/professional: n/a (dependent); $20,500 (independent)

Lifetime Federal Direct Loan Limits

Refer to studentaid.gov to see how much you can borrow.

Note: Dependent undergraduate students whose legal guardians do not qualify for a Parent PLUS loan may qualify for the same maximum amounts as independent students.

An independent student must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Be enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program
• Be at least 24 years old by December 31 of award year
• Be married
• Have a legal dependent(s) other than a spouse
• Be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or currently in active duty
• Be an orphan (because parents are deceased) or ward of the court, or a ward or dependent of the court until the age of 18
• Have documented unusual circumstances and have been determined to be “independent” by the University’s Financial Aid Administrator

If you do not meet one or more of the criteria above, then you are considered a dependent student.

You are able to track your total Federal Student Direct Loan indebtedness from all schools attended at studentaid.gov. Students are able to access details about each loan, including lender information. Please note you will need to have your U.S. Department of Education FSA ID.

You have a 6-month grace period from the day you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time enrollment status.

View a video about student loan repayment.