Loans Messiah College processes all Federal Student and Parents loans through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, the Department of Education.   For all students or parents who borrow a Title IV, Higher Education Act loan (typically the Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, and PLUS Loan), the institution is required to submit the loan to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).  NSLDS is a database maintained by the Federal government and, via this database, information about your loan(s) will be accessible to guaranty agencies (organizations that contract with the Federal government to process student data), lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system.

Federal Student Loans:

• To obtain a Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan or a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, please complete your FAFSA at:  www.fafsa.gov.
• A Federal Stafford Loan will be offered on your Financial Aid Award Notice.  You can accept or decline the Federal Stafford Loan on MCSquare.
• If you accept the Federal Stafford Loan, the loan record will be processed the end of June.
• About that time you should receive a Loan Disclosure Statement from the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program detailing the terms and conditions of your Federal Stafford Loan.
• Please note: You can cancel the Federal Stafford loan at any time.  

• For more information about the Federal Stafford loan, requirements, terms and conditions, please visit this webpage:  http://www.messiah.edu/offices/financial_aid/loans/stafford.html

Federal Parent Loans:

For the 2011-2012 academic year and beyond, if a Parent would like to obtain a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, a FAFSA is required.  All Parent PLUS loans are processed with William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan. 

 The PLUS Loan application process is only two separate steps. 

       1.  One parent should complete the Parent PLUS application online at

            www.studentloans.gov, using your parent FAFSA PIN # to log in.

       2.  After applying online, the parent (borrower) needs to sign a Master Promissory

            Note (MPN) at www.studentloans.gov.

• Shortly after the PLUS loan is processed in mid-July, you should receive a Loan Disclosure Statement from the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program detailing the terms and conditions of your Federal PLUS Loan.
• Parents may request an “in-school forbearance” option while the student is enrolled full-time. Interest will accumulate on the loan during this forbearance period. Otherwise, the PLUS loan payments begin 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed into your student’s account.
• For more information about the Parent PLUS loan, application, terms and conditions, please visit this webpage:  http://www.messiah.edu/offices/financial_aid/loans/parentsplus.html

Please call us at 1.717.691.6007 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., or email us at finaid@messiah.edu