Loans

Loan Repayment and Money Management

UTA encourages students to borrow only the loan money they need to complete their education in order to avoid building up a significant amount of student loan debt over time. UTA also offers several resources to help students manage their money.

Federal loan servicers also offer many different repayment plan options for student loan borrowers who accumulate debt while attending school.

Beware of student loan forgiveness scams! There’s nothing a debt relief company can do for you that you can’t do yourself for free through the U.S. Department of Education.

Learn more about student loan repayment and what to expect by watching the video below.

Student loan repayment checklist

If you borrowed student loans from UTA or any other school and now are preparing to graduate or drop below half-time enrollment status, then there are a few steps you need to take to get started with the loan repayment process:

• Log on to https://studentloans.gov and complete exit counseling.

• Log on to https://NSLDS.ed.gov using your FSA ID and password to:

  • Review the federal student loans you have borrowed.

  • Find out who services your student loans.
    • Note: If you borrowed any private loans, please contact your lender regarding repayment. Private loans are separate from federal loans.

• Contact your loan servicer regarding payment arrangements, deferment, or forbearance options.

  • Deferment: A period where you postpone making payments on your loan. Interest doesn't accrue on subsidized federal loans. If you are continuing in school at least half-time, you can apply for a deferment.

  • Forbearance: A period during which your monthly loan payments are temporarily suspended or reduced. Payments on your loan principal are postponed, but interest will accrue during the forbearance period. Forbearance is intended to help you out in times of temporary need.

If you are having trouble keeping up with your loan payments, your loan servicer may be able to help! Watch the video to learn more.

Salt: Money management for college

UTA has partnered with American Student Assistance to give students free access to their money management tool called “Salt.”  Salt makes it easy to take control of your finances and helps college students and alums live well today while planning for tomorrow. Some of the feature of Salt include:

• Personalized student loan help so you can make the right borrowing and repayment decisions for your life

• Guidance on the best ways to pay for college

• Straightforward budgeting tools and basic money management advice to help you build your financial skills

• Career planning and job and internship search engines

To take advantage of your free access, visit the Salt website and click on the “Sign Up” button in the top right hand corner of the homepage.

On-campus resources

UTA also offers resources on-campus to help you manage your money. The Student Money Management Center is located on the second floor of Davis Hall and assists students with all of their financial needs. They offer budgeting tools, scholarship searches, and access to credit counseling resources.

You can also set up a one-on-one consultation with a representative to help you budget and save your money. Learn more by visiting their website and contacting them today!