The University does not maintain a preferred lender list; however, we will work with any private lender a prospective borrower chooses, wherever this is possible. Students should be aware that most private lenders do not offer loans to borrowers studying outside the United States.
We strongly encourage students to consider U.S. Federal Loans before applying for a private loan, as most American students are eligible for federal funding. Private student loans are subject to credit checks and will count toward your total Cost of Attendance.
Private student loans are non‑federal loans issued by a private lender, such as a bank or financial institution. When evaluating a private loan, it is important to compare the interest rates, fees, and repayment terms with those of the Federal Direct Loan Programme to determine which option best meets your needs.
Student loans, whether Direct Loans, private loans, or a combination of both, cannot be certified for an amount that exceeds your maximum Cost of Attendance.
The University will work with any private lender you select, provided that the lender is willing and able to work with us.
Eligibility for private student loans is determined directly by the loan provider, and Durham University becomes involved only once the lender has approved your application. When a lender confirms your eligibility and issues a loan request, the University is asked to certify the loan amount. To do this, we must first assess your Cost of Attendance (CoA), and the required CoA spreadsheet will be sent to you once we receive notification from the lender. The University cannot certify any private loan until this document has been fully completed and returned.
Private lenders each set their own eligibility criteria, and these may differ significantly from the requirements of U.S. Federal Student Aid. For example, some restrictions relating to residency or distance learning may not apply to private loans. Durham University cannot advise on a lender’s specific eligibility rules; however, we will be notified by the lender if they consider you eligible and have created a loan for you.
The University will certify your loan once all required documentation is complete and the lender confirms that you meet their criteria.
Private loan providers typically disburse funds through Convera (formerly Western Union), who then transfer the payment directly to the University. Once the University receives the funds, they are released to you via your UK bank account. Students should also be aware that the United States has currency regulations governing the re‑importation of monetary instruments; private lenders include information on these regulations with each disbursement, and the University cannot provide advice on this matter.
Please note:If you are applying for or receiving private loans while outside the UK, the disbursement process may vary depending on the lender’s international procedures and regulatory requirements. The University does not have oversight of lender‑specific processes outside the UK and cannot advise on individual lender policies.
Unless you instruct us otherwise, the University will, by default, release your funds in three instalments, with one instalment issued at the beginning of each term
If you are receiving both private loans and U.S. Federal Loans, be aware that the disbursement dates for each type of funding may differ.
It is strongly recommended that you ensure you have sufficient funds available to cover accommodation, books, supplies, and personal expenses for the first four to six weeks of the academic term, due to processing timelines and the possibility of delays in receiving financial aid from the United States.
You may borrow a combination of private and federal loans, but the combined total from both sources cannot exceed your maximum Cost of Attendance, minus any scholarships or award funding you receive. This cap is set to ensure that your total financial aid does not surpass the allowable educational expenses for your programme.
COA 2025/26 V3
The University does not recommend or endorse any private lenders. Students may use any U.S. private lender that is willing to offer loans to international or UK‑based borrowers. At present, Sallie Mae has processes in place that allow them to certify loans for our students; however, this does not constitute a preferred‑lender arrangement.
The list provided is not exhaustive. We strongly encourage you to research additional private lenders to determine whether they are able to lend to you while you are studying in the UK.
Disclaimer:
For the avoidance of doubt, Durham University cannot provide any financial advice or make any recommendation in relation to any of these loan providers. Durham University is not a party to any Agreement you may enter into with your chosen loan provider and as such you agree that Durham University will not be held liable for any issues that may arise out of that contractual relationship. We therefore strongly suggest you carefully read any terms and conditions including but not limited to any data protection provisions provided to you by your chosen loan provider before you sign.
However, please note that In order to put into effect any loan you receive from your loan provider, Durham University may have to enter into a data sharing Agreement with your chosen loan provider. This is in order for there to be the relevant exchange of personal data solely regarding the loans being processed and any other relevant information to be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Please note that if you decide to use any service listed on this webpage your personal details will be held outside of the UK and EEA , in the U.S and may be passed to other third parties companies as required by the provider in order to deliver the service. We strongly suggest you read the lenders privacy policy and their terms and conditions before signing up to ensure that you are content to do so.
For the avoidance of doubt, Durham University accepts no responsibility or liability for any damage caused to you, your property (computer based or otherwise), software or data caused as a result of using this service. However, if at any point after signing up, you find any unwelcome or strange activity occurring in your email account, or notice any suspected unauthorised usage of your data that you have provided to [Name of Service], then please report this immediately to fraud.support@durham.ac.uk
Durham University is a degree-awarding institution, and it only awards degrees (undergraduate, postgraduate, including both Master's and Doctoral qualifications). Therefore, reporting requirements under Gainful Employment legislation are not required.
Durham University makes every effort to ensure that the information published on this page is accurate. However, the University cannot guarantee the information may not be altered owing to circumstances beyond the University's reasonable control. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) change in Government policy, or change of law. Any changes will be incorporated into the University's website as early as possible. Any person wishing to obtain confirmation of any particular item should contact the University via us.loans@durham.ac.uk.
