Feedback and FAQs

We do include visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge within your CoA using the GBP amounts set by the UK Government. Unfortunately, these costs must be paid in advance of your first student loan disbursement, as loan funds cannot be disbursed until you have arrived on campus and have completed all stages of the registration process, including your in-person right-to-study check.

If you have disability-related expenses, we can work with our Student Disabilities Team to review requests on a case-by-case basis. US Government regulations have clarified that allowable costs can include special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies.

If you have eligible expenses, please contact us with details so we can consider including them in your CoA. As always, please keep in mind that these funds are part of your loan package, and it’s important to borrow only what you need.

We currently include the cost of a First Bus Weekly Student Ticket, as this meets the needs of most students. However, we understand that alternative transportation costs may need to be considered for some students.

US regulations allow us to include dependent care costs that occur during class time, study time, fieldwork, internships, or commuting. This may include expenses such as childcare, babysitting, nursery or preschool fees, after-school clubs, or support/care workers. To include these costs, we require invoices or receipts from your care provider.

Only expenses for a trained service or assistance animal can be considered for additional borrowing costs. To assess eligibility we will need you to provide information about your disability, the support that the pet provides, any formal training, and the specific costs you would like considered. Please note that emotional support animals are not recognised as assistance animals in the UK.

CoA figures are based on the cost of living in Aberdeen and calculated in GBP. The allocated costs are then converted to USD at a rate that is normally slightly higher than the expected exchange rate that will be used when we receive your loan funds.  This is to allow for fluctuation in the exchange rate throughout the year.

If you use a UK bank account, this often results in receiving slightly more GBP than the CoA estimate for your living expenses

If you use a US bank account, your loan is converted to GBP and then your credit balance for living expenses is converted back to USD at the live interbank rate. If you later convert those funds back to GBP, your bank’s exchange rate and any fees will apply.

If your course includes fieldwork, please let us know the course code and course name, and we will work with the School to obtain an estimated cost. PGR students conducting research that required fieldwork or site visits may submit quotes for expected expenses, which we can review for possible inclusion in your CoA. Please note that PGR students who undertake fieldwork in the USA cease to be eligible for federal loans.  Always seek advice from the US Loan Administrators before making a choice to return to the USA for study purposes.  Please see the Returning to the United States Eligibility information (opens in new window).

Because conferences are considered supplementary to your studies, we cannot include these costs in your CoA. However, PGR students may be eligible for research funding through their School. Your PGR Coordinator can advise on available options.

Undergraduate students may be able to take university language courses at no additional cost if they are added to your curriculum. If you wish to exceed the standard 120 credits, you will need to submit a Non-Standard Credit Load form.

For postgraduate students, the School determines whether additional charges apply. If you are a PG student, please speak with your supervisor or School office about suitable courses. If there is an additional charge and you would like it considered for your CoA, please forward the relevant email to usaloans@abdn.ac.uk

We are unable to include moving expenses or accommodation deposits in your CoA. Depending on the timing of your next disbursement, we may be able to bring it forward by a short period. Disbursement dates are limited by the loan’s payment period regulations which means we don’t have much flexibility and may not always be able to help with these costs

Driving lesson costs cannot be included in your CoA.

Any request for additional CoA funding will be assessed individually on a case by case basis. Please remember that if additional costs are approved,  these costs are part of your student loan package, and it’s important to borrow only for expenses that you genuinely need.