Update

UWS expects to start processing 2020-21 applications in late April/early May 2020.

Students commencing a new postgraduate programme of study at the UWS (Federal School Code of 042595) are advised to select 1st Yr GRAD/PROF as the Grade Level in their FAFSA application even if they have previously studied at postgraduate level.

UWS & US Loans

Student loans are provided by the US Government to eligible students on eligible programmes of study. UWS is an approved Title IV institution for the purpose of administering these loans.

At UWS, the FSA Funding Team are committed to helping you determine the best way to pay for your education and to provide comprehensive support and quality service.

Please look out for emails regarding the next steps in the loan process and get in touch if you have a particular deadline for your visa application.

Once your loans have been originated satisfactorily you will receive an award letter which details the loan amounts, net of origination fees, and the disbursement dates. This award letter will be emailed to you and should be used to satisfy visa requirements.

In addition to the information on our web pages, our “UWS US Financial Aid Information” provides comprehensive information on various aspects of the US loan process. We would encourage all current and prospective borrowers to consult this document.

Pell Grants - applicants should note that as a foreign school the University is not authorised to administer Federal grants, only Direct Loans.

How are loan funds managed?

Direct Loan funds are disbursed based on your program of study and payments are required by law to be paid in equal disbursements.

The number of disbursements is based on the number of terms in your program of study and no funds will be disbursed prior to the commencement of the program of study.

Disbursement dates and amounts in US dollars are clearly set out in the Financial Aid Award Letter.

Borrowers will be contacted around 30 days prior to each disbursement date and will have the opportunity to decrease or cancel the scheduled disbursement up to seven days prior to the disbursement date.

Funds are paid directly to the University and aid may be used to cover all or part of your charges to the University. A portion of tuition fees will be retained from each disbursement, depending on the number of disbursements.

For example, for a student with three loan disbursements, the University will seek to retain one third of the tuition fees from each disbursement. Additional programme costs will be retained from the first disbursement and any tuition fee deposits paid in advance will be offset against the fees due from the first disbursement.

As a Title IV institution UWS is approved to accept funds from 529 Savings Plans. Payments in the form of US dollar cheques should be sent with details of the student's name and university student number to:

FSA Funding Team
University of the West of Scotland
Paisley Campus
Paisley
PA1 2BE
United Kingdom

Bank details for electronic payments can be obtained from the Accounts Receivable team of the Finance Department (AccountsReceivable@UWS.ac.uk or 0141 848 3196).

Applicants should be aware that 529 Savings Plans can only be used for qualifying expenses in three core headings:

  1. Tuition, Fees, Books, Supplies and Equipment
  2. Room and Board
  3. Computers, Software, Peripheral Equipment and Internet Access Charges

Further details on 529 Saving Plans can be obtained from US Securiities & Exchange Commission:

529 Savings Plans

UWS is approved to administer US Veterans Affairs Benefits for students studying on any campus of the University the West of Scotland. Note this requires a separate application process.

For further information please refer to the dedicated UWS Veterans Affairs benefits webpage or to the following external websites:

Armed Forces student loan benefits

US Veterans Affairs Benefits

As a Title IV institution UWS is able to approve Americorps National Service Awards.

For further assistance please contact FSA-funding@uws.ac.uk.

As a foreign institution UWS does not complete the 1098T tax form for students.

However as an alternative, students are advised to request a Confirmation of Payment Certificate, which may be used for tax purposes, from the Accounts Receivable team of the Finance Department (AccountsReceivable@UWS.ac.uk or +44 (0)141 848 3196).

Students funding their studies by US Federal Loans will automatically have their enrolment details reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) every two months but if a student not currently in receipt of US Federal Loans wishes to be reported to NSLDS for loan deferment purposes they should email fsa-funding@uws.ac.uk to request this.

Any student requiring a paper loan deferment form to be completed for a loan servicer not linked to NSLDS should hand the form to a member of staff in the Student HUB or email the form to fsa-funding@uws.ac.uk.

Visiting students attending UWS for one semester or for a full academic year who require a consortium agreement to be completed should email the form to fsa-funding@uws.ac.uk.

Where a consortium agreement is in place, funding will continue to be arranged by the visiting student's home institution rather than the UWS.

Last updated: 01/05/2020