Perkins Loan - Frequently Asked Questions

The Perkins loan is a federally funded loan administered by the University. This loan is based on financial need.

The Perkins loan is awarded by the Financial Aid office. They award based on need along with some other predetermined criteria. The funding for this award is very limited, therefore there are very few awards made on an annual basis. If you have questions once a Perkins has been awarded to you, please contact the Perkins Loan office at (270) 745-2986.

The interest rate is fixed at 5% and the interest is deferred while a student is enrolled at least half-time.

The first step to receive a cancellation is to contact our office if you believe you are working in a qualified profession. We can defer your payments while you are working in qualified areas. However, if you do not contact our office, you may be making unnecessary payments.

You have nine months after you graduate, leave WKU or drop below half-time status before you must begin repayment. This is called a grace period. At the end of your grace period, you must begin repaying your loan. If you're attending less than half time, check with the Perkins Loan Office to determine your grace period.

You may be allowed up to 10 years to repay.

Contact our office as soon as you realize you are having trouble making your payments. It is always better to call before you are too far behind on your bills. Contact our office at (270) 745-2986 with any questions regarding payment options.

Please remember it is your responsibility to contact our office with any address updates. Please forward a letter to our office requesting your address be updated in our system. 

Since you have a federal loan, we require a copy of a government issued ID to update your name.