College Access Loan

The College Access Loan Program provides alternative educational loans to Texas students who are unable to meet the cost of attendance. Students do not have to demonstrate financial need. However, the amount of federal aid for which you are eligible (regardless of whether actually accepted) must be deducted from the cost of attendance in determining the CAL loan amount.

Educational Loan Priority Deadline 

• The FAFSA and all supporting documents are required for the College Access Loan (CAL).
• The CAL is awarded based on the requirements set by The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) (www.hhloans.com) and the availability of funds. The CAL is awarded only to Texas residents.
• The CAL is a student initiated process. The application process includes the application, credit check, and self certification. (www.hhloans.com) The credit decision is good for 90 days.  
• Select the appropriate loan period dates from the chart below:
  

  2023-2024	Undergraduate or Graduate/Professional	Law
  Full Year	08/24/2023 - 05/07/2024	08/22/2023 - 05/10/2024
  Fall	08/24/2023 - 12/12/2023	08/21/2023 - 12/16/2023
  Spring	01/10/2023 - 05/07/2024	01/08/2024 - 05/10/2024
  Summer	05/28/2024 - 08/02/2024	06/03/2024 - 07/12/2024

• Once the THECB has received and approved all application documents and credit is approved, TTU will be notified to certify loan eligibility. TTU will certify the loan up to the cost of education minus any other aid the student has been awarded, or for the approved loan amount.
• Once TTU certifies CAL eligibility, the THECB will calculate the student's manageable debt to determine the final loan amount.
• Then THECB will send the student a Loan Approval Disclosure by mail. The student may electronically accept the terms of the disclosure. (www.hhloans.com)
• Loan funds will not be released to TTU by the THECB until the Loan Approval Disclosure has been accepted by the THECB. Loan funds are generally sent to TTU in 10-14 business days after the Loan Approval Disclosure has been accepted.
• To check the status of your CAL go to www.hhloans.com click log in.

Loan money from the CAL, private, or BOT will be applied to the student's billing account at TTU and any refund will be sent to the student via direct deposit or paper check. The student can sign up for direct deposit via MyTech. (www.raiderlink.ttu.edu)

College Access Loan Step by Step Instructions

College Access Loan

Borrower

Student

Eligibility

Students must:

• Be a Texas resident
• Be enrolled at least half-time in:
  • a course of study leading to an associate's, bachelor's, graduate, or higher degree; or
  • an approved alternative educator certification program;
• Meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements set by the institution.
• Receive a favorable credit evaluation or provide a cosigner who has good credit standing and meets other requirements.

Who can be used as a cosigner?

Cosigners must:

• Be at least 21 years of age,
• Have a regular source of income,
• Not be the borrower or the spouse of the borrower,
• Receive a favorable credit evaluation, and
• Be a permanent U.S. resident or a U.S. citizen and reside in the U.S. or in a U.S. territory

Limits

Students may borrow up to the amount of their full cost of attendance minus all other financial aid they are eligible for, including amounts not yet accepted.(No less than $100.00)

Is the FAFSA required?

Yes, the student must submit the FAFSA (or TASFA) in order to receive these loans.

Is a credit check required?

Yes, before the loan is approved, THECB checks the applicant and cosigner credit information. Applicants with adverse credit scores may not be approved. A cosigner is not required but is strongly encouraged.

Interest Rate

Any College Access Loan (CAL) application that is certified by a participating institution on or after August 1, 2023 will carry a fixed interest rate of 5.85%.

Loan Term

Principal balances under $30,000 have up to a ten-year repayment period with minimum monthly payments of $50;Principal balances of $30,000 or more have a repayment period up to 20 years;

Repayment Information

Loans have a six-month grace period from the date a borrower ceases to be continuously enrolled as at least a half-time student at an eligible institution.

Postponements of loan repayment and income-sensitive or graduated repayment schedules are available.

How to Apply

Students may apply online. The application process includes:

• A Solicitation Disclosure (must be signed)
• Student's Self-Certification form (must be completed and signed electronically or mailed to HHLoans).
• Loan Approval Disclosure Statement to be signed and returned after loan is approved.

Additional Information

If the College Access Loan is declined based on the credit inquiry, the borrower may update their application to include a credit worthy cosigner, or change cosigners. The cosigner will need to provide information on the loan application to authorize the credit inquiry.

Contact Information

For more information on the CAL, please visit HHloans.com, or contact them at 800-242-3062.