Loan Central

Any loan listed with the phrase “Credit Ck Required” is a program based on credit-worthiness. It means that this loan is not a “sure thing” until the borrower or cosigner has passed the appropriate credit check for the loan. The amounts listed for these programs represent the total amount the student qualifies for within financial aid “cost of attendance” estimates. A family is not expected to borrow this much – it’s just to give you an idea of what you might need. Use the Cost vs. Resources tool online to determine what your needs for loans might be.

When applying for a loan, please keep in mind a credit approval is only good for a certain amount of time.  Some lender credit checks last longer than others.  If you apply for a loan too early, the credit check approval may no longer be valid when our office begins to process them.  Please see the below information to help guide you through the loan process:

TCU Financial Aid Office will begin to process loans for each term below.

Term	Loan processing begins:
Summer term	April
Fall – Spring	May

 Credit Check Expiration:

Parent PLUS Loan or Grad PLUS	180 days
CAL	90 days
Private Education Loans Vary	Check with your Lender

Loan applications can also be completed at any time during the year, should the need arise after school starts. Most PLUS loan applications will take about two weeks to process once the application is complete with the lender. The state loan program, the College Access Loan, takes about four weeks. Private loan applications also take about four weeks.

All loan applications can be done online! Start at the TCU Scholarships & Financial Aid Loan website. From that page, you can click on the loan programs to learn more about each, see a comparison chart of the various loan types (click on “Which education loans are right for me?”) and access online applications for each lender TCU recommends. To select a lender, not on these pages, check out the lender’s website, or contact the lender by phone.

Selecting a private education loan is an important decision. While you may use any lender you wish for education loans at TCU, we provide a list of recommendations on our website. These lenders have been chosen based on benefits they offer to borrowers, and on customer service. Before you choose a loan, explore the information available online regarding their specific programs and benefits, or call a lender to see what type of customer service you receive.

Because many loans are limited in amounts (like Direct Loans), many students take advantage of several loan programs to get to the amount they need. The combination, within the limits allowed, is up to you.

Loan funds usually disburse about 10 days before the beginning of each semester. The billing office will usually have a record of which loans have been approved for you within a couple of weeks of your application being approved by your lender.

• Check your TCU email daily – this is how all campus offices (including Financial Aid) will communicate with you about things you need to know.
• Periodically check your http://my.tcu.edu Financial Aid – Requested Information list to see if we have requested any items from you. Not completing these items may delay your financial aid processing!