Financial Aid - Loan Information

Before they can qualify for loans, first-time loan borrowers must...

  1. accepted their loan amounts in TigerWeb
  2. complete Loan Entrance Counseling
  3. sign a Master Promissory Note

 

Department of Education’s Direct Loan Website

For comprehensive information about loans, interest rates, limits, repayments, and defaults.
 

Federal Student Aid

For information about your federal aid history and loans, including your loan servicers.

 


Annual Loan Limits

Year-in-College

Dependent Students

Independent Students

1st Year Annual Loan Limit

$5,500 (up to $3,500 Subsidized)

$9,500 (up to $3,500 Subsidized)

2nd Year Annual Loan Limit

$6,500 (up to $4,500 Subsidized)

$10,500 (up to $4,500 Subsidized)

Lifetime Loan Limit

$31,000 (up to $23,000 Subsidized)

$57,500 (up to $23,000 Subsidized)

 


Loan Requirements

  • Must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours each semester.
  • Only courses required for your current program of study count for eligibility.
  • Students can only receive aid for one repeat of a previously passed course.
  • Students who do not attend and engage in at least 6 hours will be ineligible for payment or they will be required to repay the full Loan amount.
  • Students who withdraw or stop attending during the semester might be required to repay some or all of their Loan amount.
     

Loan Disbursements

  • No financial aid resources can be paid before the 14th day of each semester (Census Date).
  • First-time loan borrowers will be subject to a 30-day waiting period for their first payment.
  • Single-term loan borrowers will have their loan payments split into two disbursements.
  • Students enrolled only in the 2nd Session of a semester will not receive payment until after their classes start.
     

Loan Cancellation Policy

Once a loan payment is made to your student account, you will receive a notification about your right to cancel your loans within 14 days – you will be responsible for repaying any refund you received from your loan(s). After 14 days, you will have to work directly with your loan servicer to return the loan payment(s).
 


Loan Modification Form

If you wish to make any changes to your loans, you can complete a Loan Modification Form in TigerWeb. The form link is available under the Financial Tools section.
 


Loan Interest Rates

Loans begin to accrue on Unsubsidized Loans as soon as you receive them. This interest will continue to increase the amount of your loan debt until the loans are fully repaid.

Subsidized Loans will not accrue interest while you are enrolled in at least 6 eligible credit hours each semester. Once you disengage enrollment by withdrawing, graduating, or otherwise discontinuing registration, your Subsidized Loans will begin to accrue interest.
 


Loan Repayment

Payments for your student loans will be deferred (paused) as long as you are enrolled at least half-time in 6 or more eligible credit hours.

After you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment, you start the 6-month grace period for any new student loans before you begin repayment. If you have older student loans, you may have to begin repaying those immediately after graduating or dropping below half-time enrollment. Remember that interest may continue to be added to loans during the grace period or deferment.

The National Student Loan Data System tracks all of your federal aid and loans and has information about your current Loan Servicers.

It’s important to stay in contact with your federal student loan servicer(s) so that your loans do not become delinquent or go into default. If you get behind on default on your student loan payments, it can impact your credit score, or the Department of Education can garnish your wages or take payments out of your tax return each year. Student loan delinquency or default can also affect your ability to borrow other loans for important things like a home or auto.

 


Cohort Default Rate (CDR)

Federal guidelines require Chattanooga State to disclose...

  • As of 2018, Chattanooga State's most recent Cohort Default Rate (CDR) is 13.3%. It is above the national average of 7.3%
  • Chattanooga State has provided additional counseling and default prevention services to students, which has lowered our CDR each year. These measures continually bring us closer to the national average.
     
      2016 2017 2018
    Default Rate 20.3% 18.2% 13.3%
    No. in Default 555 433 257
    No. in Repay 2725 2376 1918