Student loans can provide you with additional funds to help pay for your education at Saint Louis University. The federal government sponsors a variety of student loan programs, but private financing is also available. To be eligible for federal student loans, you’ll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Accepting an Offer of Federal Student Loans
After you’ve been accepted to SLU and filled out your FAFSA, you’ll receive a financial
aid award that details the federal student loans for which you are eligible. To accept
or decline your student loans, log in to Banner Self-Service using your MySLU account information and click on the “Financial Aid” tab. You’ll
also be required to complete and sign a formal agreement to repay your loan known
as a Master Promissory Note.
Learn More About the Types of Federal Student Loan Programs
Read a Guide About Federal Student Aid and Paying for College
The Direct PLUS Loan program is another borrowing option for parents of dependent undergraduate students that can help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.
A credit check, performed by the U.S. Department of Education at the time of application, is required to determine eligibility for PLUS loans. The maximum loan amount is the cost of attendance (as determined by SLU) minus any other financial assistance that you’ve received, but you should be careful not to borrow more than you can afford to repay. If you have any questions about determining the right amount for your situation, contact a financial aid counselor.
What Happens if My Federal PLUS Loan is Denied?
There are still options to help pay for your education if you are not eligible for a PLUS loan. If you are denied, SLU’s Office of Student financial Services may offer you a federal Direct Unsubsidized loan ($4,000 for freshman and sophomores; $5,000 for juniors and seniors).
Exploring loans from a private lender is another option. However, since these loans often have variable, uncapped interest rates, we encourage you to exhaust federal loan programs first.
The federal Direct Unsubsidized loan and the Direct PLUS loan programs are available to graduate student borrowers. Similar to the process for undergraduate students, you will need to file a FAFSA to receive an offer of financial aid, which you accept or decline through Banner Self-Service.
You can borrow up to $20,500 through the Direct Unsubsidized loan program, and it should be the first borrowing option you consider. Any unmet costs can be met by a Direct PLUS loan, which will allow you to borrow up to the cost of attendance (minus all other financial aid you’ve received).
Private/Alternative Loans
It is the policy of the Office of Student Financial Services at Saint Louis University to maintain a preferred list of lenders that offer alternative or private education loans to students and their families that provide vetted options with reputable companies to help fund their education. These loans are offered by private lenders to assist with educational expenses that may not be covered by other federal, state, institutional or private sources of financial aid. It is important that students carefully review their educational expenses before determining if they need to borrow from any source. Borrowers are encouraged to compare the services and products that are provided by lenders and choose the Private lender that best suits their individual needs.
All lenders on our preferred lender list are non-affiliated and will be monitored throughout the year to maintain current benefit information as well as determine if any removals or additions are necessary. To maintain a non-bias approach in selecting lenders on this list, Requests for Information (RFI) will be employed every 3 years to ensure that our students and families have the best options and up-to-date information available. The lenders on the list are subject to change depending on any necessary revisions due to changes in benefits, technical support or lack of adequate client service.
Borrowers have the right to choose any lender that is not on our Preferred Lender List.
Saint Louis University has a published Code of Conduct and Policy on Educational Loans that must be followed.
Saint Louis University’s evaluation and selection process is based on requested information from lenders.
Factors considered include but are not limited to:
- Competitive interest rates and origination fees
- Borrower benefits
- SLU student approval ratings
- Electronic application and processing
- Co-signer release options
- Deferment and repayment terms
- Prior balance options
- Enrollment status options
- Death/disability forgiveness
- The most widely used lenders by current and former students
- High quality of servicing the loans
After reviewing the information submitted by each lender, the lenders represented on our list best fit the criteria we set forth in the Request for Information (RFI).
You may borrow from any lender you choose and are not required to use a lender on Saint Louis University’s preferred lender list. Saint Louis University will process loans from any lender without delay. Saint Louis University recommends reviewing your options, including federal, state, and institutional grants and loans before applying for private loans.
Contact student financial services or view your award options in your myslu account.
Saint Louis University is utilizing ELMSelect, a loan comparison tool offered by ELM Resources which allows students to compare alternative loans from our preferred lender list side-by-side.
By clicking on the following link, you will be directed away from Saint Louis University Student Financial Services website. We encourage you to bookmark this page for future reference. Enter ELMSelect now to view private loan products that are a part of our preferred lender list.
Student Financial Services and employees of ELM Resources, a software provider of ELMSelect, are prohibited from accepting any financial or other benefits in exchange for displaying lenders and loan options in ELMSelect. Prohibited activities of financial aid employees include but not limited to: serving on a lender's or lender affiliate's advisory board (with or without compensation), accepting gifts including trips, meals and entertainment.
Saint Louis University encourages you to explore how student loan debt may affect your financial future through financial aid counseling and education provided through the school and federally available web sources.
Loan Collections
SLU’s Student Loan Collections facilitates repayment, deferment, loan forgiveness and fulfills exit requirements on federal and institutional programs, such as the Federal Perkins, Nursing Student, Nursing Faculty and Primary Care loans, as well as loans for disadvantaged and institutional debt.
Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central time) Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact studentloans@slu.edu or call 314-977-2350.
Billing
The University partners with University Accounting Services for its billing needs, including signmyloan, electronic exits, and billing mechanisms for payment including paper and electronic billing.
Visit uasconnect.com to set up an account, view loan details and make payments online. For general information and forms related to employment cancellation benefits, student deferment, or other options if you are unable to make monthly payments, please visit https://www.uaservice.com.
Contact University Accounting Services at 844-870-8701 or send forms and correspondence to:
University Accounting Service
PO Box 918
Brookfield, WI 53008-0918
If not using electronic payment portal, please send payments to:
University Accounting Service, LLC
PO Box 5865
Carol Stream, IL 60197-5865
Please make checks payable to Saint Louis University.
Code of Conduct and Policy on Educational Loans
Saint Louis University achieves its mission of teaching, research and community service in a manner consistent with its Catholic, Jesuit mission and philosophy. All employees, including administrators, faculty and staff, are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which is also consistent with this mission and philosophy.
This policy establishes a code of conduct that reiterates and reflects Saint Louis University's continuing commitment to conducting financial aid practices with integrity, free from conflicts of interest, in the interest of students, and in compliance with applicable law.
This code of conduct applies to all employees, including administrators, faculty and staff, including, but not limited to, individuals who are employed in the Office of Student Financial Services or who otherwise have responsibilities with respect to educational loans.
For purposes of this policy, certain key terms are defined as follows:
Lending institution:
- An entity that itself or through an affiliate engages in the business of making loans to students, parents or others for purposes of financing higher education expenses or that securitizes such loans; or
- An entity, or association of entities, that guarantees or services educational loans; or
- An industry, trade, or professional association that receives money from any entity described in subsections (a) and (b) above.>
Preferred Lender Arrangement: An arrangement or agreement between a lending institution and Saint Louis University
- under which a lending institution provides or otherwise issues educational loans to the students attending Saint Louis University or the families of such students; and
- that relates to Saint Louis University or an affiliated organization recommending, promoting, or endorsing the educational loan products of the lending institution.
Revenue Sharing Arrangement: Any arrangement between Saint Louis University and a lending institution that results in the lending institution paying a fee or other benefits, including a share of the profits, to Saint Louis University, its officers, employees or agents as a result of Saint Louis University's recommending the lender to its students or the families of those students.
Saint Louis University
- Does not require the use of a particular lending institution or in any way limit the choice of lending institution.
- Does not recommend particular lending institutions to students or families of those students.
- Does maintain a preferred lender list. The University’s decision to include a Lending Institution on any Preferred Lender List shall be determined solely by consideration of the best interests of Borrowers who may use the Preferred Lender List, without regard to the pecuniary interests of the College.
- The composition of any Preferred Lender List shall be reviewed annually and updated at least every 3 years.
- Processes loan applications through any lending institution a student or parent chooses.
- Does not assign for any borrower, through award packaging or other methods, a loan to a particular lending institution and does not refuse to certify or delay certification of any loan based on the borrower's selection of a particular lending institution.
- Prohibits conflicts of interest with respect to the loans.
- Prohibits revenue sharing arrangements with any lending institution.
- Does not solicit or accept anything of value from any lending institution in exchange for any advantage sought by a lending institution to make educational loans to students enrolled at, or admitted to, the University.
- Prohibits the solicitation or acceptance of any funds to be used for private educational loans in exchange for concessions by Saint Louis University to a lending institution.
- Prohibits any employee of the Office of Student Financial Services, or any employee who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to educational loans, from soliciting or accepting from a lending institution any gift worth more than a nominal value.
- Prohibits any employee of the Office of Student Financial Services, or any employee who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to educational loans, from entering into any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide to a Lender Institution services relating to educational loans.
- Prohibits employees of the Office of Student Financial Services, or any employee who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to educational loans, who serve on an advisory board (or commission or group) relating to educational loans established by a lending institution or group of lending institutions from receiving anything of value from the lending institution or group of lending institutions in connection with serving on such an advisory board (or commission or group).
- Prohibits external lending institutions' employees, representatives or agents from providing staffing services to the Office of Student Financial Services.
- Prohibits external lending institution's employees, representatives or agents from identifying themselves to students of Saint Louis University or their parents as employees, representatives or agents of the Office of Student Financial Services.