Perkins Loan Application


Whether you are applying for a Federal Perkins loan or any other type of financial aid, the application process begins with submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. The FASFA is the universally accepted document that gathers your family’s financial information in a way that allows for calculation of your financial need.

Submit the FAFSA as early as you can, but be aware that the application will be rejected if it submitted before January 1 of the year you plan to start college. It is possible and preferable to apply online; online application identifies potential errors, gives help, and results in a faster response. If you do apply online, be sure to print a copy for your records.

Once your FASFA has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) that will tell you 1) your family’s expected financial contribution (EFC) and whether or not you are eligible f or a Pell Grant. The Pell Grant is the foundation of federal student aid. The Pell Grant is available to undergraduates and is based on need. Students with family incomes up to $45,000 may be eligible for Pell Grants. However, most Pell awards go to students with family incomes below $20,000. You are guaranteed to receive the full amount you qualify for and there is no repayment.

Once your college reviews your FASFA and offers you a financial aid package that includes a Perkins loan, you may have to fill out a Perkins loan application form, depending on the following:

  • If you have not previously borrowed from the Federal Perkins Loan Program, you will need to complete the Perkins Loan Application.
  • If you have previously borrowed from the Federal Perkins Loan Program but did not borrow a Perkins during the prior academic year, you will need to complete a new Perkins Loan Application
  • If you did borrow from the Federal Perkins Loan Program during the prior academic year, you do not need to complete another Perkins Loan Application
  • Here are some tips for filling out the Perkins loan application.
  • Fill out the application in ink.
  • Be sure to fill in both sides of the application form. Don’t leave any fields blank and don’t forget to sign and date the form at the bottom of the second page. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned
  • Fill in the “Driver’s License or State ID” field. If you don’t have either a license or a state ID, write “N/A”; don’t leave the field blank.
  • Your “Current/Campus Address” should be your local address.
  • Completely fill in the “Parent/Guardian Information” section. Do not leave any of these fields blank.
  • Each of your references must have a different U.S. address. Don’t use relatives, fellow students or faculty members as character references. The Perkins Loan Application must be signed by the student; a parent signature is not acceptable.

The more you pay attention to detail, the fewer processing problems you will have and the sooner you will have a complete financial aid package to evaluate