The Cadet Scholarship Application is now open for the 2026-27 school year. Please complete the application in order to be considered for a variety of institutional scholarship programs. 91ÁÔĆćs who are selected for scholarships will be notified via the my.citadel portal. The application closes on August 1, 2026.

You can submit your application using the link below:

If you have questions about eligibility or the application process, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

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There are a variety of changes to federal student aid programs resulting from last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill.Ěý

91ÁÔĆćs and families are encouraged to review the official Federal 91ÁÔĆć Aid resource for the most up-to-date information:

Understanding these updates is important for planning and managing your financial aid.

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I need more information about my student’s loan servicer.

Try This Resource

—Provides information about federal student loan repayment plan options, finding loan history and loan servicers, and making payments.

I need more information about the types of repayment plans available.

Learn more about .

REMEMBER: Your student’s federal student loans can’t be canceled or forgiven because they didn’t get the education or job they expected or they didn’t complete their education (unless they couldn’t complete their education because their school closed).

Should my student refinance their federal student loans into a private loan?

As a federal student loan borrower, your student has certain rights that are not typically available with private loans. While refinancing federal student loans into a private student loan can sometimes lower the interest rate, private student loans will not necessarily have the same terms and conditions as federal student loans.

Your student should carefully review the terms of a private student loan before they give up the benefits available on federal student loans. The following are some examples of benefits that your student may lose if they refinance their federal student loan into a private student loan:

• Access to temporary loan payment relief through approved periods (deferment or forbearance) when your student does not have to make payments because of financial hardship, continuing their education, or military service
• No interest accumulation on subsidized student loans during periods when payments are deferred
• Access to repayment plans based on their income that provide loan forgiveness once your student has been in repayment for 20 or 25 years
• Access to various forms of loan forgiveness and discharge, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, teacher loan forgiveness, total and permanent disability discharge, and borrower defense to repayment discharge

When Your 91ÁÔĆć Must Begin Payments

Once your student graduates, drops below half-time enrollment, or leaves school, their federal student loan goes into repayment. However, if they have a Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, or Federal Family Education Loan, they have a  before they are required to start making regular payments. They’ll have a nine-month grace period if they’ve got a Perkins Loan. (Got a PLUS loan? They’ll go into repayment as soon as the loan is fully disbursed—which means once it’s paid out. But if your student is a graduate and professional student PLUS borrower, they will be placed on an automatic deferment while in school and for six months after graduating, leaving school, or dropping below half-time enrollment.)

Note: When your student’s loan enters repayment, their servicer will automatically place them on the Standard Repayment Plan. They can request a  at any time.

Your student can make prepayments on their loan while they are in school or . Be aware, however, that any prepayment your student makes will not count as a qualifying payment in any loan forgiveness programs.

Your student’s loan servicer will provide them with a loan repayment schedule that states when their first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment.

Your student’s billing statement will tell them how much to pay. Their monthly payment amount depends on their . If your student signed up for electronic communication, they need to pay attention to their email. Most loan servicers send an email when billing statements are ready for your student to access online.

The Grace Period

For most federal student loan types, after your student graduates, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, they have a six-month grace period (sometimes nine months for Perkins Loans) before they must begin making payments. This grace period gives your student time to get financially settled and to select their repayment plan. Not all federal student loans have a grace period. Note that for most loans, . The interest that accrues during the grace period will be added to the outstanding balance of their loan, but it will not be capitalized. This means that the unpaid interest might increase the monthly payment amount under a fixed payment repayment plan or increase the time to repay their loan in full under an IDR (Income-Driven Repayment) plan. Your student can always pay the unpaid accrued interest before entering repayment.

Loans and Their Grace Periods

Review this list to find out whether your student’s loan has a grace period.

• Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans have a six-month grace period before payments are due.
• PLUS loans do not have a grace period; but if your student received a PLUS loan as a graduate or professional student, they’ll automatically get a six-month deferment after they graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment. No payments are required during this six-month deferment period. If you’re a parent borrower who took out a PLUS loan to pay for your student’s education, you can request a six-month deferment after your student graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. Contact your loan servicer for more information.
• If your student received a Federal Perkins Loan, check with the school where your student received their loan.

Circumstances That May Affect Your 91ÁÔĆć’s Grace Period

Certain situations that may affect your student’s grace period include the following:

• Active duty military—If your student is called to active military duty for more than 30 days before the end of their grace period, they will receive the full six-month grace period when they return from active duty.
• Returning to school before the end of their loan’s grace period—If your student reenrolls in school at least half-time before the end of their grace period, they will receive the full six-month grace period when they stop attending school or drop below half-time enrollment.
• Loan consolidation—If your student consolidates their loans during the grace period, they give up the remainder of their grace period and begin repayment after their Direct Consolidation Loan is processed (unless they request to have the processing of their consolidation loan delayed until closer to the end of their grace period).

Making Payments

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) uses several  to handle the billing and other services on loans for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and for loans that were made under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and that ED later purchased. Your student’s loan servicer will set them up under the Standard Repayment Plan unless they tell their loan servicer they want a .

To discuss repayment plan options or change the repayment plan, . First, though, your student can use  to get an early look at which plans they may be eligible for and see estimates for how much they would pay monthly and overall.

My student wants to get ahead by paying extra each month.

Your student can make payments before they are due or pay more than the amount due each month. Paying a little extra each month can reduce the interest your student pays and reduce the total cost of their loan over time.Ěý to discuss these options.

My student is having trouble making their loan payment.

 as soon as possible. Your student may be able to change their  to one that lowers their monthly payment and, in some cases, may be based on their income. Your student can also ask their loan servicer about their options for a  or .

Try this Resource:

 provides information on what to do if your student is having difficulty making their student loan payments.

My student has missed one or more loan payments.

Stay in touch with the â€”especially if your student is struggling to make payments on their loans. Their loan servicer will explain their repayment options, such as applying for an income-driven repayment plan or a forbearance or deferment, to help your student stay on track or get back on track when they fall behind.

One thing your student definitely wants to avoid is going into ! This occurs when they are at least nine months past due on their student loan. The consequences of default include damage to their credit rating and future borrowing ability. They may also include garnishment of wages and withholding of tax refunds. If your student can’t make payments, they should  to find out their options.

Having 91ÁÔĆć Loans Forgiven

Your student is generally required to repay their student loan, but in certain situations, their loan may be .

Additional Links:

The post Understanding 91ÁÔĆć Loan Repayment appeared first on The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships .

Your student may need to ask their parent(s) to provide information on their FAFSA form based on their dependency status. If your student is a dependent, they may need to report their parents’ information.

The FAFSA Parent Wizard is a tool that simplifies FAFSA form completion by helping families determine which parent(s) should contribute to a student’s FAFSA form. This clarity can help families navigate this crucial step with confidence and ensure accurate information is submitted for the student’s FAFSA form.

FAFSA Videos: Who Is My Contributor?

A “contributor” is a person who needs to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, such as the student, their spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or a stepparent.

To help students and their families identify who will provide information on the FAFSA form, we’ve created the following videos about contributors:

Visit 91ÁÔĆćAid.gov for .

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91ÁÔĆć offers up to 25 tuition grants to active-duty service members that are enrolled in one of 91ÁÔĆć’s online undergraduate programs and 25 grants to active-duty members enrolled in a online Graduate degree seeking program. To help minimize out-of-pocket costs, the tuition grant will cap tuition at $250 per credit hour. The grant does not include any additional fees. The grant is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis per academic year. National Guard and Reservists in an active-duty status are also eligible.

The institutional application for the Blue Ribbon Active Duty Grant should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at least 30 days before the start of the academic term in which you are seeking the grant.

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