Federal Stafford Loans

First-time Stanford Borrowers

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal contract between you and your lender to repay your loan. It covers all Stafford loans you borrow while enrolled at Stanford for up to ten years, and must only be completed once while at Stanford.

Loan Counseling is required when you begin the MPN process and provides important information about your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. It must be completed in order for Stafford loans to disburse, and Stanford is automatically notified when you complete your online loan counseling. For further information contact Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA) at (800) 979-4441 or loaninfo@nela.net.

Private lenders fund federal Stafford loans. The federal government sets the interest rates, fee limits, and minimum deferment options, however, many lenders offer benefits beyond the minimum requirements.

You are encouraged to review your options before choosing a lender. The Online Lender Comparison Tool is provided by Simple Tuition for Stanford borrowers to compare benefits offered by our preferred lenders. We use a careful selection process for our preferred lenders based on the best benefits and services available for our borrowers. You are not obligated to use a preferred lender and may choose any lender that participates in the loan program.