How Much Can I Borrow ?

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How Much Can I Borrow Each Year?

 Undergraduate Loan Grade Level is determined by the total number of semester hours earned at Spelman plus any hours accepted in transfer.

Level Hours Earned
1 0-29
2 30-59
3 60-89
4 90+

Annual Maximum Level

Dependent Student Independent Student
Level 1 $5,500 (only $3,500 can be subsidized) $9,500 (only $3,500 can be subsidized)
Level 2 $6,500 (only $4,500 can be subsidized) $10,500 (only $4,500 can be subsidized)
Level 3 & 4 $7,500 (only $5,500 can be subsidized) $12,500 (only $5,500 can be subsidized)
Level 5 $5,500 $12,500 (only $5,500 can be subsidized)
For a single semester, your loan eligibility is no more than half the annual amount.

The Office of Financial Aid exists to assist students in finding ways to finance their college education.

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Aggregate Loan Limits for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

The total outstanding loan debt you can accrue from the federal student loan program is:

* $31,000 as a dependent undergraduate student (only $23,000 of this can be subsidized)
* $57,500 as an independent undergraduate student (only $23,000 of this amount can be subsidized)

Origination Fee and Interest Rates

The origination fee for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans is 0.50 percent. The origination fee is retained by the federal government to reduce the cost of supporting these low interest loans.

The origination fee for Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans is 4 percent and 1.5 percent is rebated up front to the borrower at the time the PLUS loan is disbursed.

Subsidized Loans: fixed at 4.45% for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2017.
Unsubsidized Loans: fixed at 6% for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2017.
Parent PLUS Loan: fixed at 7% for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2017

Contact Our Office

In order to provide the best customer service to students, we offer our services in a variety of virtual, online formats. Email is the best way to connect with our staff. Utilizing emails helps us better serve you, giving our staff an opportunity to research your question before responding. Contact your financial aid advisor.

Contact Your Financial Aid Advisor

Packard Hall, 1st Floor
350 Spelman Lane SW
PO Box 771
Atlanta, GA. 30314

Phone: 404.270.5222
Fax: 404.270.5220
financialaid@spelman.edu