Doctoral Student Loan Guide

Contents

Introduction

Federal Direct Loans and Alternative Private educational loans are available financial aid options for Doctoral (Audiology) students at Brooklyn College. Federal direct loans require an applicant to file the FAFSA to determine basic eligibility criteria. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan has a loan origination fee and accrues interest from the time of disbursement. The Federal Graduate PLUS loan has the above, requires passing a credit check, has a higher interest rate and loan origination fee. The loan origination fee amount and interest rates are determined annually by the U.S. Congress.

Alternative private educational loans do not require students to file the FAFSA. They may carry an origination fee and they typically accrue interest from the time of disbursement. Interest rates, fees and repayment obligations are set by the lender. As such there is no set interest rate, that may vary by lender and credit history.

What does this guide offer you?

This guide outlines the steps for the doctoral student Federal Direct loan process. It also includes resources such as videos and links to more information and other guides to help you navigate the student loan process and the CUNYfirst system. Information about the alternative loan process, which is the same for all students at Brooklyn College, is available in the Private Educational Alternative Loan Guide

IMPORTANT Note about Borrowing

The Brooklyn College Office of Financial Aid recommends that you limit borrowing to what you need! If you are unsure of what you would need we encourage you to schedule a financial aid planning appointment (see next heading).

Doctoral (Audiology) Student – Financial Aid Point of Contact

We strongly encourage all Doctoral Audiology students to contact Assistant Director of Financial Aid Advisement Klarinda Louis (Klouis@brooklyn.cuny.edu) to schedule a financial aid planning appointment.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loan Process

Step 1 – Complete the FAFSA

Before you can be considered for a Federal Direct Loan (unsubsidized or Graduate PLUS) you must first file and submit the FAFSA to determine that you meet the basic eligibility criteria for federal student financial aid programs. The FAFSA you file should reflect the academic year that you are planning to attend. For example if you are planning to enroll in the Fall 2025 and spring 2026 terms then you should file the 2025-2026 FAFSA.

Step 2 – Review Your CUNYfirst Financial Aid “TO-DO LIST” Items

If your FAFSA requires additional documentation, CUNYfirst will alert you by listing items on the Tasks tile in your Student Center. You must complete these items before any offered or accepted loan will be able to disburse to you. To view your “To-Do List” log onto your CUNYfirst account at https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu

Step 3 – Review Your COST OF ATTENDANCE (Financial Aid Budget)

Your Cost of Attendance (which includes direct and indirect costs of your education) is used to determine the maximum amount of financial aid (scholarships and loans) you may receive during an academic year. It is important to review your cost of attendance before borrowing so that you understand borrowing limitations. You cannot borrow or receive aid that is in excess of your Cost Of Attendance.

View your Cost of Attendance:

Access the Financial Aid tile in your CUNYfirst Student Center.
Confirm the appropriate aid year in the top left of the page (use the Change button if the current aid year is not the default). Note: the screenshot example below shows costs for the 2021-2022 year.
Under the “Financial Aid Summary menu” on the sidebar select “Cost of Attendance”.

Step 4 – Enroll For Courses (at least 6 Credits)

You must be matriculated in an eligible graduate degree program and enroll for at least 6 credits (or weighted credits) in the term(s) for which you are seeking the loan to be eligible for the loan.

Step 5 – Complete an Entrance Counseling Session and Sign your eMPN,

If this is your first time borrowing a Federal Direct Student Loan, you must complete the below requirements before your loan will disburse to you:

Entrance Counseling

Using your FSA ID, sign into the Federal Student Aid portal to complete the ENTRANCE COUNSELING SESSION. Be sure to select CUNY Brooklyn College as a school to notify.

If you have already completed one in the past you only need to change the school code to Brooklyn College.

eMPN- Promissory Note

On the Federal Student Aid portal sign the LOAN MASTER PROMISSORY NOTE (MPN) for “Graduate/Professional” students. If you have signed an MPN for the particular loan type within the last decade then you would not need to sign a new one. If you are unsure of how long it has been since you last signed one it is recommended to sign a new one to avoid a disbursement delay due to an expiring promissory note.

NOTE: Make sure you are signing the correct type of promissory note for the type of loan you are borrowing. The unsubsidized loan and the Graduate PLUS loan have separate and different promissory notes because the terms of the loans are different. If you are utilizing both you will need to sign two promissory notes.

Financial Aid TV- Loan Entrance and Promissory Note Video

Step 6 – Accept, Reduce, or Decline your Unsubsidized Loan on CUNYfirst

All Doctoral students who file a FAFSA will have a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Direct Loan of up to $20,500 offered on their aid package. They will also have a Graduate Plus loan offer (more on this in the Graduate PLUS loan section below).

The unsubsidized loan will not disburse if it has not been accepted or if the steps above have not been completed.

Click to learn more about the offered loan process

The loan is offered as a fall/spring loan. This means that the loan amount will be divided evenly between the fall and spring terms. Depending on your tuition charges this may not be sufficient to cover your full balance.

You can accept, reduce, and then accept, or decline the annual unsubsidized loan award by following the steps outlined in the CUNYfirst Student Financial Aid Guide on or Information Guides page (refer to pages 11-12 in the guide).

What Do I do if I want a semester only loan?

If you are seeking to borrow a semester only loan you must decline the offered loan and use the Federal Direct Loan Change Form (scroll down to loan section of the page to find the form) to request a semester only loan.

Loan Limits for Professional Study

Graduate/Professional Students	Maximum Loan Amounts
Annual Unsubsidized Loan Amount	$20,500
Lifetime Aggregate Borrowing Limit*	$138,500

*The Lifetime Aggregate Borrowing Limit includes any borrowing from undergraduate study or prior graduate degrees.

Graduate Plus Loan

Students who need to borrow more than the maximum unsubsidized loan of $20,500 (or those who have already met the lifetime limit on federal direct loan borrowing) to meet their educational costs may request an additional loan by applying for a Graduate PLUS loan.

Click to learn More about the Graduate PLUS loan for Doctoral Students

Doctoral students have a Graduate PLUS loan offered on their account. This is done to show students how much of the loan maximum they could receive if they choose to. However, because there is a credit component for this loan, students must still submit the Graduate PLUS loan form to request the amount they want. The amount requested can be equal to or less than what is on the package but it cannot be more. Additionally, students must still first accept the Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan maximum offer before requesting the PLUS loan.

The Graduate PLUS loan allows students to borrow up to the full annual cost of attendance (COA) minus other financial aid received (scholarships, federal student loans, private loans etc.).

A credit check will be performed by the U.S. Department of Education during the origination process to determine your credit eligibility for the Graduate PLUS loan. The PLUS loan has a higher loan fee and interest rate.

Graduate PLUS Loan Application Process

If you are interested in applying for a Graduate PLUS loan follow the steps below:

1) Accept the maximum annual unsubsidized loan offer of $20,500 in for the academic year. (This step does not apply if you have reached your federal direct loan lifetime borrowing limit.) NOTE: Federal law requires that your eligibility for the unsubsidized loan be determined first before you can request a PLUS loan.

2) Sign the Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov (you may also need to update your entrance counseling if you previously did it only for subsidized and/or unsubsidized loans).

3) Complete and submit the electronic Graduate Plus Loan Application on the Financial Aid Office Forms Page (scroll down to the Federal Direct Loan section).

4) Pass the credit check (if you fail the credit check you may either obtain an endorser or appeal the decision. If you fail the credit check you must also complete PLUS Credit counseling even if you obtain an endorser or appeal the decision).

5) Enroll for at least 6 credits (or weighted credits) and attend classes.

Pending Aid in CUNYfirst

Authorization and Pending Financial Aid

After you have accepted your unsubsidized loan, and completed all the necessary steps above, allow a 3-5 business days for the loan to authorize. Once authorized, the loan will show on your CUNYfirst Student Center under the “Financial Account” tile as “pending financial aid”. Navigate to “Account Balance” on the menu sidebar to see your total charges, pending financial aid and how much you still owe (if anything). Pending financial aid means that it is approved but pending to disburse on the next (or first) available disbursement date.

For detailed steps on how to view pending financial aid refer to the CUNYfirst Student Financial Aid guide.

Loan Disclosure and Disbursement

How Disbursements Work

You will receive an official disclosure statement via email from the Federal Direct Loan Servicing Center confirming your approved award and anticipated disbursement dates. Federal loans are issued in two separate disbursements. Initial Disbursement dates for the loan are indicated below. Disbursements occur each Monday (excepting legal holidays) following the initial disbursement date. Any disbursement that is in excess of the tuition and fees liability will refund on the Friday after the disbursement date via check or direct deposit.

Initial Federal Loan Disbursement Dates

Fall 2025 – September 2nd

Spring 2026 – February 2nd

Additional Resources

Click to learn more about Interest rates, exit counseling, repayment options, Federal Loan history and more

Federal Direct Loan Program Interest Rates and Loan Origination Fees

Loan Repayment

View your Federal Student Loan History

Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling

Private Educational Alternative Loan Guide

Financial Aid TV – Loan Videos

Financial Aid TV Videos: Loan Overview

Financial Aid TV Videos: Loan Programs

Financial Aid TV Videos: Loan Repayment

Need More Help?

To ensure the best service, Audiology students should contact Assistant Director of Financial Aid Klarinda Louis (Klouis@brooklyn.cuny.edu) directly for financial aid inquiries.