Loans
The federal government has a variety of federal loan options available for students and parents.
We encourage you to review the following information carefully before making any decisions about your loans.
If you have previously borrowed federal student loans at the University of Northern Iowa or another postsecondary institution, you should begin by reviewing your borrowing history by logging in to the Federal Student Aid website using your FSA ID. Most importantly, remember these are loans and they must be repaid, so borrow only what you need.
Types of Loans
Federal Direct Loans
Loan options available to qualifying undergraduate and graduate students, with both Subsidized and Unsubsidized options depending on financial need.
Federal Direct PLUS Loans
Loan option for parents of undergraduate students.
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
Loan option for graduate students that have exhausted their Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan eligibility.
Private Education Loans
Loan option offered through private banks and lenders; generally only accepted if all other financial aid options have been exhausted.
Default Information
A cohort default rate (CDR) is the percentage of a school’s borrowers who enter repayment on federal student loans during a particular fiscal year, Oct 1 to Sept. 30, and default within the cohort default period.
The Department of Education calculated the school’s cohort default rate by dividing the number of borrowers from the school entering repayment in a cohort year and default within a 3-year period divided by the number of borrowers from the school entering repayment in the cohort year.
Cohort Fiscal Year 2021 Calculation:
Number of borrowers who entered repayment in 2021 and defaulted in 2021, 2022, 2023 ÷ Number of borrowers who entered repayment in 2021
| Cohort Fiscal Year | UNI CDR | National CDR |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | 2.3% |