End of Perkins Loan Program – How You Can Help!

By: Louisa Diana, Financial Aid Office

 As of September 30, 2017, the Federal Government eliminated the Perkins Loan Program. Funds from this loan program will no longer be available to students after the 2017-2018 year.  We are requesting your help in trying to get this loan program reinstated. 

The Federal Perkins Loan Program is a campus-based student aid program through which colleges and universities provide subsidized, low-interest loans to undergraduate students demonstrating financial need. For the 2017-2018 year, 796 Gonzaga students are receiving a total of $2,012,322 through the Federal Perkins Loan Program. 

Without Congressional action, no new Federal Perkins Loans will be permitted to be disbursed on or after October 1, 2017 (borrowers will still be required to repay their loans according to their repayment provisions). There are currently no comparable federal loan programs or proposals to replace the Perkins Loan Program and the funding it provides.

If you can spare a few minutes of time, we urge you to consider sending an email to your Congressional delegate to communicate to them how much this program helped you and ask them to consider extending the program.  You can find contact information for your Congressional delegates online at: https://www.congress.gov/members. 

The loss of the Federal Perkins Loan program will negatively impact many Gonzaga students, as well as students nationwide, who rely on these funds to help them fulfill their dream of pursuing and obtaining a college degree. Please help these current and future students by sending an email to your delegate. If you want to help but don’t have the time to send an email, you can also sign the Save Perkins petition by visiting the site here or provide testimonials for the importance of the Federal Perkins Loan Program here.

As always, feel free to contact our Financial Aid Office if you have any questions or would like further information.