Frequently Asked Questions

Only University students enrolled in a Directed Study or Telecommunications program may be eligible for receiving Federal Financial Aid student loans. If after reviewing the catalog and website information, an applicant believes they are a good candidate for this program, they may list The Taft University System on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Students enrolled in other University programs are not eligible for Federally Insured Student Loans but may qualify for military or employer tuition assistance, and/or Taft University System grants.

William Howard Taft University through The Taft University System participates with Federal Direct Stafford Loans where the lender is the Department of Education. You should review the information posted on the United States Department of Education’s website to see the current rates. You should also review the Consumer Information Guide which is posted on our website. For more information please review the information on the Federal Student Aid website.

Subject to the amount of any prior Federal Student Loans, a student may be eligible to borrow a maximum of $20,500 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans per academic year.

After the application for admission to Taft has been approved and the enrollment instructions have been received, the applicant will receive an e-mail from the Financial Aid Office with regards to the next steps. The Financial Aid Office will assist the applicant with determining their eligibility, entrance counseling, signing a master promissory note and the preparation of a packaged award. See: Financial Aid Processing Steps.

You can apply for Federal Student Aid at the FAFSA website. The applicable School Code is G41004. You will need to complete and submit a current FAFSA form to the Department of Education. The Federal Award Year is from July 1st through June 30th. Select the appropriate FAFSA for the start date that is chosen. Once this is done, the student’s FAFSA information will be sent to The Taft University System’s electronic mailbox. This takes two to three days. The Financial Aid Office will need this information to begin the student’s Federal Student Aid process.

Loans will not be funded prior to the time you will need books for your courses. You will need the required textbooks for courses at the start of the academic year. The cost of new text books for each academic year is expected to approximate $1667. This cost can be reduced significantly by purchasing e-books, or used books when available.

Official transcripts for new students must be received by William Howard Taft University within 30 days of the date of enrollment; however, it is recommended that students request official transcripts as soon as possible. Receipt of official transcripts is one of the requirements to receive a Federal Loan disbursement.

In most cases, after students commence study they will be able to obtain a deferment of their prior federal student loans. For more detailed information on the process, you may contact the Federal Student Aid Office.

If approved by the U.S. Department of Education, funds from Federal Direct loans for the first and second semesters will be disbursed in one payment per semester. In the third and final semester the student will receive two disbursements.

The University cannot request any loan proceeds until all regulatory requirements have been met. Provided all regulatory requirements have been met, loan proceeds will be requested from the government approximately 30 days after the start of each semester. It takes the government approximately seven business days to process the loan request and transfer the funds to the University. If you request a loan greater than the amount payable to the University, the excess proceeds for the first and second semester disbursements will be sent to you approximately 40 days after the start of instruction of each semester.

In the third semester, you would receive two equal disbursements. The first disbursement will be processed approximately 40 days after the start of instruction and the second disbursement will be processed approximately 28 days after the first disbursement.