Federal Direct Loans
The William T. Ford Direct Loan Program offers students low interest loans funded by the Department of Education to assist students with paying their educational expenses. Through the Federal Direct Loan program, Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD) offers subsidized and unsubsidized loan types as well as the Parent Plus Loan for dependent students. Unlike grants, scholarships and work-study, Federal Direct Loans must be repaid. When borrowing student loans, a student must understand the loan is a legal obligation and they are responsible for paying the loan with interest, even if the student does not complete their degree program. Learn more about Federal Direct Loans.
How to apply for a Federal Direct Loan:
To qualify for a Federal Direct Loan, you, the student, must first complete the FAFSA and include NWCCD (003930). You must be in an eligible degree or certificate program and enrolled in a minimum of six credits per semester. After NWCCD receives your FAFSA, you will be packaged subsidized and unsubsidized loans according to your Student Aid Index (SAI) and remaining unmet financial need.
You will be able to accept your student loan package on your NWCCD Hub student account, on your Financial Aid Self-Service page. Please keep in mind, your loan amounts will be equally packaged to your account for fall, spring and summer semesters. If you qualify for subsidized loans, you must accept the maximum amount before accepting any unsubsidized loan amounts.
Federal Direct Loan Requirements:
Entrance Counseling: All first time borrowers MUST complete Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling online and include NWCCD (003930). This online information session explains the details of the loans as well as loan rights and responsibilities and must be completed before a loan will be disbursed on a student’s account. Click here to complete your Entrance Counseling requirement. If Entrance Counseling has already been completed for another school, the student must log back on and add NWCCD as a school. Once a student completes the requirement, NWCCD will receive an automatic notification within 24 to 48 hours.
Master Promissory Note: All first time borrowers MUST complete their Master Promissory Note (MPN) prior to their loan disbursement. The MPN is a legal document which the student is promising to repay the total borrowed loan amounts, including any interest fees. Click here to complete your MPN requirement. Once a student completes the requirement, NWCCD will receive an automatic notification within 24 to 48 hours.
Exit Counseling: Exit counseling provides students important information to prepare them to repay their federal student loan(s). If you have received a subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan under the Direct Loan Program, you must complete exit counseling each time you drop below half-time enrollment, graduate or leave school. NWCCD will send out an exit loan counseling packet to the most current address on the student’s record within 30 days of determining the student graduated, dropped below half-time or has left school. It is the student’s responsibility to complete this federal requirement.
Loan Simulator:
Loan Simulator helps you calculate student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals. You can also use it to decide whether to consolidate your student loans. To view the Loan Simulator, click here.
It is very important to know and understand all resources that are available to you to help you pay for college. If you have not yet completed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), NWCCD highly encourages you to do so, to determine your Federal financial aid eligibility. The Department of Education provides many benefits to students through Federal Student Aid programs. To learn more about Federal Aid benefits, please refer to the Student Financial Aid Assistant Programs & Eligibility, Grants and Federal Direct Loan links on our Financial Aid home page.
If you require more financial assistance than what appears on your award letter, and you have not met your Cost of Attendance (COA), you may apply for additional student loans from private student loan programs. The Office of Financial Aid at NWCCD does not have preferred lender arrangement agreements with any private education loan lenders, and will not recommend, and will not refer students to, any specific private student loan programs. You may obtain more information and compare the loans offered by these lenders by visiting the FASTChoice website.
