For US Federal Direct Loans & private loans
Cost of Attendance (CoA) is the maximum amount of money a student needs to pay their tuition fees, living expenses and course costs. This figure is determined annually by LSHTM.
For the full 2023-24 academic year, the CoA is equal to the tuition fee amount plus GBP 26,000.00 for living expenses.
The CoA is converted to USD based on a set GBP:USD exchange rate. This will be 1.35 for 2023-24. So - for example only - if your tuition fees for 2023-24 are GBP 28,540.00, your maximum CoA for 2023-24 would be (GBP 26,000.00 living expenses + GBP 28,540.00 tuition fees) x 1.35 = USD 73,62. Note that if the maximum amount is requested, the origination fees will also be added to the total CoA.
Loan amounts
Students are able to borrow loans up to the set maximum CoA. This may be across multiple loans, and could include a combination of federal and private loans.
Students should note that they are not required to take out the maximum CoA for their loans and can request to borrow less. We encourage students to budget carefully when deciding how much to request. If a student takes out less than the maximum, they will be able to increase the loans at a later date, if necessary (assuming all eligibility criteria are met). Equally, students are able to reduce their loans during their course.
Students with funding such as scholarships or sponsorship should be aware that their maximum CoA will be reduced by the value of any tuition fees or other course related costs covered by the funding.
Direct Unsubsidised Loans
The maximum Direct Unsubsidised Loan amount that can be borrowed within an academic year is USD 20,500.00*. If a student wishes to borrow an unsubsidised loan, but requires a higher amount, they are able to borrow a USD 20,500.00 unsubsidised loan and the remainder in either a PLUS loan or a private loan.
For example, a student wishing to borrow USD 35,000.00 could request:
- a Direct Unsubsidised Loan of USD 20,500.00, and
- a PLUS or private loan of USD 35,000.00 – USD 20,500.00 = USD 14,500.00
* Within maximum aggregate loan borrowing limits. Aggregate loan limits for Federal Direct Loans can be found on the studentaid.ed.gov website.