Starting in the 2009-2010 school year, federal loans at UMKC will be offered through the Direct Loan Program. All required Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes for Stafford, Parent PLUS and Graduate PLUS Loans need to be completed through Direct Loans. Funds will not be sent to UMKC unless all of the required paperwork has been signed, so be sure to get it completed in a timely manner.

Click on the task you wish to complete:

• Entrance Counseling
• Stafford, Parent PLUS or Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Notes

To sign a Master Promissory Note for a Perkins, Health Professional (HPL) or other Institutional Loan, please visit ECSI. You will need to use the Campus Code S4 to login. Any questions about promissory notes signed with ECSI can be directed to the UMKC Student Loan Office at 816-235-1346.

UMKC's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office encourages students to take advantage of all sources of federal aid before turning to private loans (also called alternative loans). If you're interested in applying for federal financial aid, please visit www.fafsa.ed.gov. Private loans do not require students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), are based on credit-worthiness and have variable interest. Private loans must be repaid separately from federal loans once students are no longer enrolled at least part-time. Please be sure to look over the information about federal aid available on our website before pursuing a private loan:

New laws in 2010 are far more restrictive in how universities are allowed to offer guidance to students when choosing a private loan lender. Therefore, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office has put together the following tips for you as you're looking for a private loan. At this time we are not able to suggest a particular lender to you.

1. Make sure that the lender offers loans to students in Missouri and who attend UMKC.
2. Find a lender who has an established loan program or reputation- Many major, national banks offer private loans.
3. You may be required to have an eligible co-signer on the loan application; often, having a co-signer will help you obtain a better interest rate.
4. Check into when you will be required to repay the loan (some lenders allow you to defer the repayment of the loan until you're no longer enrolled at least part-time).
5. Watch out for high fees. A loan with a lower interest rate but high fees can ultimately cost more than a loan with a somewhat higher interest rate and no fees.
6. Generally, loans based on the LIBOR index tend to be better in the long term than loans based on the PLR (Prime Lending Rate).
7. It is common for interest rates to be lower while a student is in school and higher during repayment.
8. Most private loans will require the school to certify the amount that you are eligible to receive.