Federal Aid

US Federal Aid Loans

There are several federal programs available for U.S. citizens (or eligible non-citizens) who are enrolled at University of Galway in a Degree, Masters or PhD program:

Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized & UnSubsidized)
Federal Direct PLUS loans

Eligibility

Eligibility for US Federal Aid

United States students studying in foreign schools are not eligible for grants from the US Federal Government, but may

apply for loans. The Federal ‘Direct Lending’ Loan program is available for US citizens or eligible non-citizens, who are

enrolled at least half-time, making satisfactory academic progress, and are not in default on a previous loan or exceeding

federal loan limits.

Eligible Programs

• Degree (Undergraduate or Postgraduate)

• Masters

• PhD

NON-eligible Programs*

• Nursing

• Higher Diploma

• Programs with any portion based in the US

• Programs at the Burren College of Art

*Please note: Private loans through Sallie Mae may be an option for some students, subject to credit check and lending criteria

Federal Aid Loan Types

Eligible students at University of Galway can apply for the following Federal Aid loans:

• Direct Loans (which can be Subsidized or Unsubsidized)

• Direct PLUS loans (which can be Parent PLUS or Graduate PLUS)

How to Apply

Students are strongly advised to allow plenty of processing time for Federal Aid application - it can easily take up to six weeks at schools outside the U.S.

The annual deadline for submitting your application and all supporting documentation is 1st July 2023. Any documentation submitted after this date may result in the first loan disbursement being delayed by up to a month.

Please note that Federal Aid regulations for universities outside the U.S. differ from those in the U.S. University of Galway liaises with the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that it follow all appropriate regulations for universities outside the U.S.

1. Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online

The application process takes time so you are advised to start your application after you have filed your taxes in April. The first step in the application process is to complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ .Please note, our school code is G12766.

2. Send supporting documents and a completed University of Galway Federal Aid Application form to University of Galway.

The report resulting from your FAFSA application (your Student Aid Report or 'SAR') will NOT automatically be sent to University of Galway. As such, we will not know that you have applied until you complete University of Galway's application for federal aid. For full details on the application process and documents required, please see the 'Federal Aid Student Application Guide' at the end of this page. Please take the time to read this guide thoroughly before completing your application. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS JULY 1st. Applications received after this date may be subject to delays.

All student loans are subject to the maximum limit of a student's 'Cost of Attendance', which is an estimate of tuition plus living costs as determined by the University.

2023/2024 Application Guide

Download the US Federal Student Aid Application Guide 2023-24 here.

Additional Resources and Links

University of Galway Federal Aid Consumer Information

http://studentloans.gov/

http://studentaid.gov/

http://www.fafsa.gov/

Contact Us

For questions on Federal Aid, please EMAIL federalaid@universityofgalway.ie Due to the difficulty posed by timezones differences, email is the preferred method of communication.