Law Loan FAQs

Am I required to take the full loan amount offered on my financial aid package?
You may decline loans, take loans in full or accept them in less than the full amount.

Can I take a loan later in the year if I decline it originally?
Yes. Loans originally declined may still be processed within the same academic year. To process a declined loan, contact Drake Breeden at ebreeden@wlu.edu

Is it possible to adjust loan amounts after disbursement?
Law student loans are adjustable within the same academic year. If you have not borrowed your full loan eligibility, you can increase a loan to the full amount. Likewise, if you wish to reduce the amount of loan you borrowed, you have that option as well but you should be award that the reduction of the loan could result in amount owed (balance due) to the Business Office.

I decided I want to use a private loan. What are the steps to process the loan?
The first step is to create a loan application with the private lender. Once you have committed to the loan, you should contact Drake Breeden at ebreeden@wlu.edu to ensure our office has access to the lender's site for certifying the loan. Mr. Breeden will verify your intention to take the loan and will certify it with the lender. Upon delivery of the disbursement check from your lender, our office may contact you to sign the check in person to apply funds to your account.

My student account showed pending loan aid and a $0 account balance. Now I have no pending loan aid and I owe the Business Office money. What happened?
In all likelihood, there were documents necessary for processing the loan(s) that were not received by our office. After August 10, we cancel loans that are not fully processed and the pending aid is removed. The reduction in pending aid can result in a balance-owed.

What recourse do I have for processing loans that were cancelled?
Contact the Office of Financial aid at financialaid@wlu.edu and request that the loans be processed. Our office will help you determine what documents are necessary to process the loan(s) and how to go about submitting the document(s). It can take 5 to 10 business days before processing takes place and aid applies as pending or disbursed on your account.

When will my loans disburse to my account?
Loans in most cases are split between semesters in alignment with billing (tuition, fees, meal plans, and health insurance are split between semesters). The fall disbursement of federal loans will occur during the first week of classes of the fall semester. The second disbursement occurs soon after students arrive from winter break.

How do I use my loan funds for expenses that are not charged to my account (books, food, travel, rent)?
You have the option of leaving your funds (credit balance) on your account, but you will not have access to spend the money on anything that is not charged to your Nelnet account. In order to use your credit balance for off-campus expenses, you need to transfer your money to your personal account or request a credit balance check from the Business Office. In either case, contact the Business Office at businessoffice@wlu.edu for instructions for direct deposit or paper checks. Credit balance funds are available 1-2 weeks after loan disbursement to the Nelnet account.