Loans for Disadvantaged Students | Financial Aid

These loans are available to students with financial need who are in the Medicine (MD), Dentistry (DDS), or Pharmacy (PHARMD) programs.

General Information

These loans are available through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Loan Program.
When applying, parental income information is required regardless of federal dependency status.
See the DHHS Loans page for information on how to apply.

LDS is a subsidized loan with a 5% simple annual interest rate.
There is a twelve-month grace period after the student graduates or drops below full-time enrollment. Repayment of the loan begins immediately after the grace period ends.
The minimum monthly payment is $40.00 (unless otherwise specified on the promissory note the student signs), plus accrued interest.
The repayment period must not exceed ten years.
Cancellation of the loan may be granted in certain circumstances such as death or permanent disability. Cancellation provisions are described in the student's promissory note.
Students may request deferment of repayment if they enter military service, the Peace Corps, pursue advanced professional training, or pursue a full-time course of study at a health professions school eligible for participation in the Loans for Disadvantaged Students program.
Borrowers may prepay the loan at any time.
This loan can be consolidated with a student's Federal Direct Loan. However, once consolidated it becomes an unsubsidized loan and is subject to the repayment terms of the consolidation loan.