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KU Endowment Association Loan Program

Policy
Purpose: 

The KU Endowment Association provides a low-interest loan for eligible KU students.

Applies to: 

KU students

Campus: 
Edwards
Lawrence
Policy Statement: 

To be eligible for the KU Endowment Association student loan program, a student must meet the following criteria:

GPA:

  1. First semester freshman must have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA.
  2. Transfer students must have a minimum transfer GPA of 2.5.
  3. Continuing KU students must have a 2.0 KU cumulative GPA.

Enrollment:

  1. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours during the fall or spring semesters and three credit hours for the summer term.
  2. Graduate/professional/law students must be enrolled in a minimum of one credit thesis or dissertation hour or be considered half-time.
  3. Student must be enrolled in degree-seeking hours.
  4. Students may also apply for loans to assist with study abroad costs.
    5. Before a KU Endowment loan can be approved, FAS must have documentation indicating the student has been accepted into a study abroad program.

Remaining Financial Eligibility:

  1. A student may be eligible for a KU Endowment loan if the amount of financial aid that they have been awarded does not exceed their cost of attendance for the semester in which they have applied for the loan.
  2. If a student applied for a long-term loan that would result in an over-award, the loan amount must be reduced during the school certification step.

International Students:

  1. International students who have a citizenship status of “Alien Temporary” are eligible for short term loans. International students do not qualify for long-term loans.
  2. Students with a status of “Alien Permanent” are not considered international students.
  3. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are eligible for a $1000 short-term loan.

Satisfactory Academic Progress:

  1. Students who are ineligible for federal financial aid programs because of failure to meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards may be eligible for KU Endowment loans. (see the GPA requirements listed above)
  2. If a student has a 2.0 cumulative GPA, but has failed to maintain the 67% completion rate, they may still receive KUEA loans.

Loan Types

  1. Long-term Loans
    1. Long-term loans are available to eligible undergraduate and graduate students.
    2. These loans have a 5% interest rate; interest starts accruing on the date of disbursement.
    3. Repayment begins 5 months after the student exits the University.
    4. Long-term loans cannot exceed remaining financial eligibility.
  2. Short Term Loans
    1. Short-term loans are due in full within one year of disbursement or earlier depending on the student’s graduation date.
    2. International students are only eligible for short-term loans. A cosigner is not required.
    3. Domestic students need pre-approval from the KU Endowment loan office before applying for a short-term loan. KU Endowment loan staff authorized to approve short-term loans include: Janet Fredendall, current KUEA Loan Program Administrator.
    4. A short-term loan may result in the student’s aid package exceeding the cost of attendance without penalty.

KUEA Academic Year Loan Limits:

Student Semester Loan Limits Academic Year Loan Limits*

Cumulative Limits (while at KU)

Undergraduates
(continuing, returning)

$2,500 $5,000 $12,000
Undergraduate transfer $2,500 $5,000 $12,000
Freshman $1,500 Fall / $2,000 Spring $3,500 $12,000
International $1,300 (short-term only) $1,300 $1,300

Graduate*

$3,000 $6,000 $12,000
International Graduate $1,500 (short-term only) $1,500 $1,500
*If a student attended KU as an undergraduate and a graduate student, they have a combined loan limit of $24,000.

KUEA Summer Loan Limits:

Student:

Enrolled in 3 hrs:

Enrolled in 6 hrs:

Undergraduate:

$1,000

$2,000

Graduate:

$1,500

$2,500

International:

$750 $1300

Study Abroad:

$4,000 $4,000

*Academic year loan limits include loan amounts borrowed for the fall, spring, and summer semester.

Exceptions to loan limits:

Occasionally, exceptions to loan limits for a semester or cumulatively for the year may be made after consultation with KU Endowment staff.

Application Dates:

  1. Students may apply for a KUEA loan beginning:
    1. April 1 – Summer
    2. November 1 - Spring Semester
    3. July 1 - Fall Semester or Fall/Spring Semesters
  2. The last date that a student may submit a loan application is the final day that classes are held during a semester. Exceptions to this deadline may be made after consultation with KU Endowment staff.
  3. The application dates for a student who is accepted for Study Abroad will vary slightly, since students must often pay for study abroad well in advance of a semester. The application dates are as follows:
    1. April 1 – for Summer or Fall study abroad programs
    2. October 1 – for Spring study abroad programs

Application Process for Students:

  1. Student applies for the loan online at www.kuendowment.org.
  2. Student is notified of the status of the application throughout the process via email.
  3. Students may electronically sign all loan documents, or they have the option to print the documents and submit paper documentation.
  4. Students may select either an electronic funds disbursement or a paper check. However, if the student is not enrolled for the semester in which they are requesting a loan, a paper check will be processed and will be made co-payable to the University and the student borrower. The student will be able to deliver this check directly to Student Accounts & Receivables and it will be applied to their student account. Paper checks are available for pick-up at the KU Endowment loan office located on the West Campus.
  5. A cosigner will be required if the student’s annual income is less than $25,000. The cosigner requirement may be waived after consultation with KU Endowment loan staff.
  6. Loan processing time is typically 8 to 10 days from the submission of the loan application to the disbursement of the loan funds.

For questions regarding the KU Endowment loan program, please call 785-832-7450.

Contact: 

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
1502 Building
1502 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66045
financialaid@ku.edu
785-864-4700

Approved by: 
Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Approved on: 
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Effective on: 
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Review Cycle: 
Annual (As Needed)
Keywords: 
Kansas University Endowment Association Loan Program, KUEA Loan Program
Change History: 
03/06/2023: Updated contact section.
12/12/2022: Reviewed policy; updated loan limits.
10/18/2021: Reviewed and updated.
12/11/2020: Reviewed policy and updated loan limits, loan type criteria, and added DACA short-term loan eligibility.
11/09/2017: Updated loan limits
07/01/2016: Updated to remove gendered pronouns.
03/23/2015: Updated to reflect current nomenclature for Student Account Services.
09/02/2014: Minor formatting updates to correct spacing and alignment.
08/22/2014: Reviewed and updated; these updates included editing graduate student enrollment requirements; updating requirements for loans related to study abroad costs; updating Remaining Financial Eligibility criteria; updating the criteria for long-term and short-term loan eligibility; updating the amounts included under loan limits; updating procedure for loan approval notification and student acceptance of loan.
09/10/2013: Reviewed and updated
08/03/2012: Reviewed and updated
08/26/2011: Reviewed and updated
08/01/2009: Reviewed and updated
03/01/2008: Approved
Financial Categories: 
Student Financial Aid
Student Life Categories: 
Financial Assistance

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