Students who are unable to take out US Federal loans, or who do not meet the criteria for a US Federal loan, can borrow from private lenders in the US.
We advise that if you are eligible for US Federal Loans, you investigate these fully before applying for a US private student loan, as US federal loans are often cheaper and most American students are eligible for them. Please refer to our US Federal Loans section for further information.
Please note that US private student loans do not enable you to borrow more funds than US federal loans as the total borrowing
for any combination of loans cannot exceed the total of the standardised
Cardiff Metropolitan University Cost of Attendance for your chosen
programme at the University.
Cardiff Metropolitan University will work with whichever private lender you decide to use, however, please be aware that Sallie Mae is the only lender we are currently aware of that is willing to lend to students at a Foreign School.
Private loan applications with Sallie Mae must not exceed 180 days between the application date and disbursement date. Therefore for loan applications for the new academic year (which will normally have an earliest disbursement date of 2nd October, do not make an application to Sallie Mae any earlier than the 1st May, however please do get in touch with the US Loan Team at usloans@cardiffmet.ac.uk if you have any queries at all before this date.
Sallie Mae is not a preferred lender and this does not represent a preferred lender arrangement.
Global Education Management Services can also offer support in applying for the right Sallie Mae loan for you, shall you wish to choose them as your lender. Their site is specifically designed for students at foreign schools, and they now have new products available, including the parent loan for undergradaute and graduate students. You can find more information on their website: https://myglobaled.com/student-loans/
You are advised to compare the terms, charges, and interest rates before taking out a private loan. You can find here a quick comparison guide to federal v's private loans - https://myglobaled.com/federal-vs-private-loan/
If you wish to apply for a private US student loan, email Cardiff Met's US Loan Team at usloans@cardiffmet.ac.uk for a Cost of Attendance worksheet and other instructions, before applying to your chosen loan provider.
US Federal and private student loans for all US students are administered by Cardiff Met's US Loan Team.
