How to apply
For an initial application for Financial Aid you need to complete and submit all the documentation specified on the La Trobe Financial Aid Application Form (PDF 55.3KB). This allows your application to be assessed in accordance with the US Department of Education legislation and La Trobe University’s Policy in relation to the administration of the Federal Family Education Loan program. All applications will be assessed impartially and fairly.
The following three segments are mandatory for all first time borrowers:
Student aid report
You must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to being considered for US financial aid. You can apply now for your FAFSA.
University/school codes
One of the final steps in completing the FAFSA is supplying La Trobe’s US Dept of Education federal university/school code: G3096100.
You will need to obtain the necessary PIN to validate the signature before electronically sending the application to be processed. Parents (for dependant students) and students are required to have individual PIN’s which can be obtained online at US Department of Education – PIN Registration.
After completing the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). This document lists the information you and your family have provided and tells you what your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is for the year you are applying.
You will be advised on the SAR print summary document that the Financial Aid Office receives this information in an electronic format. This is not the case for students attending foreign universities.
Each student will be able to access their SAR with their PIN Number. Please fax or email this to our office (+613 94793660 or USFinancialaid@latrobe.edu.au) along with the other documentation required in the La Trobe Financial Aid application form as it will enable the university to track and process your application more efficiently.
Entrance counselling
Pre-loan counselling
La Trobe University requires all students to complete loan counselling at the appropriate grade level (undergraduate or graduate) prior to the initial certification of any US Federal loan funds. If you have completed your undergraduate degree and then continue into postgraduate studies, you will be required to undergo entrance counselling again.
As most new students are confirming their eligibility for Financial Aid prior to arrival in Australia, you can access pre-loan entrance counseling through our preferred on-line provider, Mapping Your Future. We will be advised via email once you have successfully completed the counseling session.
Masters promissory note (MPN)
Rules and regulations differ slightly when you are enrolled in a university outside the US. The Masters Promissory Note (MPN) you sign whilst valid for 10 years in the US will need to be completed annually with each new application for aid whilst at La Trobe.
There are different MPN forms for Stafford and PLUS (Parent and Graduate) loans as the US loan regulations require different information to be stipulated to borrower. All of these forms are available on our forms page.
Please make sure that you seriously consider the implications of whether you wish to pay interest whilst you are in-school.
Example: On a US $23,000 dollar student loan, electing not to pay interest may result in you having to pay back $30,900.00 or approx $277 per month for the next 10 years. If you chose to pay the interest, you would be paying back US $23,000.00 or approx $199 per month for the next 10 years.
Apply online now
Students can apply online via the ASA Direct website, where they are able to create an account and E-sign the Master Promissory Note.
Accessing aid in the next award year
In the following years you will still be required to complete an MPN and file a SAR and complete all the data requested on the La Trobe Financial Aid Application Form. When you move between undergraduate and graduate programs, you will be required to undertake entrance counseling again.
For further information, please email USFinancialaid@latrobe.edu.au.
