Student Loans

Loans

The University of Washington Bothell participates in the major federal student loan programs to give our students the full range of options available for paying for college.

Student Loans are financial obligations that must be repaid. Pay careful attention to the terms and conditions of any loan you accept to help pay for school. Do not borrow more than you need or can repay comfortably after leaving school.

In 2024-25, the percent of undergraduates with debt at graduation was 28%. These students graduated with an average cumulative loan debt of $21,207. In 2018, UW’s cohort default rate (CDR) for student loans is 2.1%, well below the national average CDR rate of 7.3%.

At-A-Glance

• You should never borrow more than you can comfortably repay after leaving school.
• All loans come with terms and conditions. It is important that you pay attention to the terms and conditions for any loans you accept.
• When you borrow money for school, you typically will need to repay the amount you borrow plus interest. The amount of interest accrued and the timeline for accrual to begin varies based on the type of loan.
• A comparison of various loans may be found on the Student Loans Program Chart.

Federal Loan Updates for 2026–2027

Important changes to federal student loan programs are coming. These changes primarily affect graduate/professional students and parents of undergraduate students. If you are planning to utilize federal loans to finance your education in 2026–27 or later, we encourage you to review these updates carefully to understand how they may impact your financing plan.

If you have questions about the loan process, please contact our office at 425-352-5240 or by email at uwbfaid@uw.edu.