DACC Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships

Federal Direct Student Loans

Students may be eligible to receive subsidized and unsubsidized loans based on their financial need. Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education.

Requirements:

First time loadn borrowers, online entrace counseling! Federal requirements for all first-time borrowers, including transfer and returning students. First-time Freshman (0-27 credits) borrowers get a 30-day hold, Both subsidized and unsubsidized loans will hold for 30 days after the start of each semester. Entrance Counseling is required every academic year loans are borrowed. Single semester loans will disburse in two payments per federal regulations.

If you are a first-year undergraduate student and a first-time loan borrower, you will have to wait thirty (30) days after the first day of your enrollment period (semester) before we disburse your student loan money.

As a first-time borrower of a Direct Subsidized Loan or Direct Unsubsidized Loan, you must complete Entrance Counseling. 

In addition to Entrance Counseling, student borrowers must complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN), a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest.

Student borrowers are allocated a six-month grace period before they are required to begin making payments on their student loans. Grace periods begin when a student drops below half-time enrollment or when a student officially/unofficially departs school.

 

Transfer Monitoring Hold

Doña Ana Community College is required to monitor students who may have previously received aid at another institution through the NSLDS database. This process must be done even if you did not receive any financial aid at another institution. 

The Transfer Monitoring Hold prevents the disbursement of any financial aid for seven (7) days. This hold, however, does not prevent the ability to register for classes or change your schedule. There is no action needed by the student during this process. 

The removal of the Transfer Monitoring Hold is automatic and you do not need to speak with the DACC Financial Aid office to have this hold removed. If you received financial aid at another institution during the same academic year you are enrolled at DACC, then you will need to contact the previous institution to have any pending financial aid disbursements canceled. 

Loan Repayment

Once you graduate, drop below half-time enrollment, or leave school, your federal student loan goes into repayment. However, if you have a Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, or Federal Family Education Loan, you have a six-month grace period before you are required to start making regular payments. 

When your federal student loan enters repayment, your servicer will automatically place you on the Standard Repayment Plan. 

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Compare Repayment Plans

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Learn About Consolidation

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Loan Forgiveness