New England School of Acupuncture participates in the Federal Stafford Loan Program. To qualify for a federal student loan, which offers a variable interest loan that never exceeds 8.25 %, you must be a U. S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, enrolled at least part-time (6 credits), and not be in default on any previous student loan. As a graduate program, our students who qualify can borrow up to $8,500.00 per year in subsidized loans, on which the government pays the interest while you are in school. If you are found ineligible for a subsidized loan, or need to borrow more, an unsubsidized loan is available. The combined total from Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans cannot exceed $20,500 per year. If additional funds are needed for living expenses, alternative loans are available through various lending institutions. In addition, there are private loans for international students who have a U.S. citizen to co-sign a loan with them. We encourage students to seek out other ways to pay for their education in order to eliminate the burden of repaying loan debts while beginning their practice. If you are interested in applying for student loans:

1. Complete the NESA Financial Aid Form and return it to the NESA Financial Aid Office at the address below.

2. Complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online once you have completed your 2006 tax return.

Apply for financial aid online by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will be required to enter NESA's school code, which is G25798. You may call 800-433-3243 if you have any problems while completing your FAFSA online. NESA can also provide you with a paper FAFSA if you wish. In this case, please check the appropriate box for application Part III, question 20. Please be aware that submitting a FAFSA online will take 2-3 weeks to process, whereas submitting a paper FAFSA will result in a 4-6 week processing time for your loans.

Financial Aid Deadlines

There are no real deadlines for submitting financial aid applications; you can borrow at any point during the academic year. However, if you need to have the loan in place when school begins so that you will not have to make tuition payments, you must complete your FAFSA by June 15.

If you have general questions about financial aid, please visit www.studentaid.ed.gov or call 800-433-3243. If you have questions specific to NESA's financial aid policies, please call the Financial Aid Office at 617-558-1788, ext. 105, or e-mail financialaid @ nesa.edu (remove spaces when typing e-mail address).

Interest-Free payment Plans at NESA

In addition to federally funded loans, NESA offers students an interest-free payment plan. A variety of payment options are available. These include annual or per-term plans, or a monthly payment plan spread over each term. More information about payment options will be provided to you if you enroll in the program.