2.G.5 Student Loans and Repayment
Students receiving financial assistance are informed of any repayment obligations. The institution regularly monitors its student loan programs and publicizes the institution鈥檚 loan default rate on its website.
UAF provides information to students regarding student loan repayment, default, and the return of Title IV funds for withdrawals. The UAF Office of Financial Aid provides information on student loan repayment, with an entire section on the types of student loans and the application process (including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] process). The Office of Financial Aid also provides information on the repayment policy and monitoring process as well as statistics on the average loan debt and default rate for UAF students. Additional information on loan repayment, default rates, and withdrawal policies can be found on the UAF Consumer Information website. Each semester (on October 1, March 1, and June 1), all enrolled UAF students receive an email notification from the Enrollment Management Communication team providing a direct link to the UAF Consumer Information webpage.
UAF has four dedicated financial aid advisors who meet with students to explain financial aid implications of dropping or failing a course. Faculty and academic advisors also refer at-risk students to financial aid advisors through the Nanook Navigator platform for missing classes or falling behind on assignments. The availability of financial aid advising appointments is provided on all communications sent from the UAF Office of Financial Aid, including FAFSA filing reminders and financial aid offer notifications.
All students receiving a federal student loan must complete a and , which explains the terms and conditions of a federal student loan. Students are emailed their right to cancel upon disbursement of the federal loan to their student account. UAF also emails all student borrowers that drop below half time attendance of . This email is sent to a non-UA email address to ensure that students receive notice even if they no longer consider themselves affiliated with the school. The Office of Financial Aid will contact a student a second time if exit counseling has not been completed within 30 days of the initial notification.
UAF receives the cohort default rate (CDR) from the U.S. Department of Education annually, and financial aid staff monitor this closely. The CDR for 2021 (which was published in 2024) was 0.0%. The information is published online on an annual basis. UAF contracts with a third party, , to provide telecounseling to UAF students entering their grace period. ECMC also provides a letter to students each fall showing their current student loan debt, as well as their estimated debt if borrowing at the same rate annually.
UAF is audited annually per Federal Student Aid (FSA) program requirements to ensure compliance with all Title IV federal grant and loan program requirements. This is completed internally by the and by the external auditors hired by the UA System, .