Apply for Aid - Step 7 for first-year students
(Step 5 for continuing students who are
borrowing loans for the first time)
"Apply for Aid" steps are detailed In a sequence of pages including this one.
To view the full sequence of steps, return to the Financial Aid Home Page and Select the link appropriate to you under the heading "Apply for Aid." The checklist you will see corresponds to this sequence of pages.
Summary for this step
Go to www.studentaid.gov. "Complete Master Promissory Note;" then complete an MPN for both the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students.
Detailed information about this step
A Master Promissory Note (MPN) is required for each loan program. Requests for specific loan amounts are made through Cardinal Station, the CUA student-service portal. Details about requesting specific loan amounts are found on the "Accept Financial Aid" page on this website.
There are two federal student loan programs - each of which you will require its own school-specific MPN:
- Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Direct PLUS Loan for Graduates Students
Note - more details about these loan programs are found at www.studentaid.gov - the website where you will complete the Master Promissory Notes or at the Federal Student Aid website at https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/search/master%20promissory%20note/help-articles/1
To complete an MPN for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan and/or a PLUS Loan for Graduate Students go to www.studentaid.gov. Your first visit to www.studentaid.gov will include creating your account (user id and password with will take just a few minutes. Once that is done, you can then log in where, on the first page, you will see several options. Select Complete a Master Promissory Note.
A PLUS Loan requires a basic review of your credit history looking for such things as bankruptcy, foreclosures, tax liens, and other judgments. Credit denials are rare, if you have concerns about whether you will pass the credit review, please contact the Financial Aid Office. Credit denials may be appealed or the applicant may use an endorser (co-signer). We recommend you go to www.annualcreditreport.com to obtain a free copy of your credit report and review it for accuracy.
Student Loan Interest Rates
For information about student loan interest rates please visit this website:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/interest-rates#how-is-interest-calculated