Perkins Loan Program
The Federal Perkins Loan Program is a federally funded long term, low interest loan with repayment deferred until after a nine month grace period following graduation, withdrawal or enrollment less than half time to help needy students finance the costs of postsecondary education. Federal Perkins Funds are limited and availability is based on repayments from prior borrowers. The Perkins Loan program has certain deferment, cancellation and discharge provisions. A loan is a serious obligation. Therefore, it is extremely important that you understand your rights and responsibilities.
Payment Information | |||||||||||||||
Payments are due on the 1st of each month to the University of Georgia, Student Accounts
– Loan Servicing Department. Payments are considered late if received after the 15th
of each month and if applicable, you will be charged a late fee.
Paying online avoids your payment getting delayed or lost in the mail, allows the option to schedule
future payments in advance, and there are no other associated fees. You will be asked
to provide the amount you want to pay, your contact information, and the banking information
required for payment. You have the option to either make a one-time payment and/or
schedule payments in the future. If you have any special instructions, please provide
such in the comment box and ensure you reference a good email and phone number where
you can be reached. For assistance please email, ugaloans@uga.edu or call 706-542-2965.
Checks should be mailed to:
University of Georgia Student Account Services - Loan Servicing 110 Business Services Building Athens, GA 30602-4226 We encourage you to consider making your payment online. Paying online avoids your payment getting delayed or lost in the mail, allows the
option to schedule future payments in advance, and there are no other associated fees.
Checks should be made payable to "The University of Georgia". Please include borrower
name and last four numbers of social security number on the check. Payments should
be accompanied by a payment coupon. However, if you do not have a payment coupon,
you may mail your payment without one and request future payment coupons. You may
also print a general payment coupon and mail it with your payment. Please remember that not having a payment coupon does
not excuse you from making a payment. The coupon helps to properly credit your account
with your payment. If you do not have a supply of coupons, please contact Student
Accounts.
We encourage you to consider making your payment online. Paying online avoids your payment getting delayed or lost in the mail, allows the option to schedule future payments in advance, and there are no other associated fees. The standard repayment period is ten years, not including any deferment periods.
The minimum monthly payment is $40.00 and it may be higher depending on amount of
Perkins loan money borrowed. Repayment is made in equal monthly installments and is
made directly to the UGA, Student Account Services – Loan Servicing department. Repayment
begins on the 1st of the month after the nine month grace period following graduation,
withdrawal or enrollment less than a half-time. Payments are considered late if received
after the 15th of each month and your account will be access late fees. However, if
a borrower cannot make the full payment on time, they must contact our department
to make arrangements to bring their account current. If a loan becomes delinquent,
late fees equal to seven percent of the monthly loan payment are assessed to the loan
balance. UGA may assign loans to an outside collection agency or legal firm for collection
in which case the borrower is responsible for all collection costs, attorneys fees
and court costs incurred by UGA in collecting the delinquent account.
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Enrollment Requirements | |||||||||||||||
Students are required to be enrolled at least half-time each term to receive Perkins
Loan funds. Failure to maintain at least half-time status will result in you having
to complete an Exit interview and your loan will move into the repayment process.
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Entrance and Annual Requirements | |||||||||||||||
The Federal Perkins Loan program requires entrance counseling and acknowledgement
of total loan indebtedness each year that funds are awarded. First time borrowers
are also required to complete a Master Promissory Note in the initial award year.
Entrance Interview Questionnaires are mailed to the students in the initial award year. Each award year after the initial
award year, students are mailed the Annual Interview Questionnaire which must be completely filled out, signed and returned to Student Accounts – Loan
Servicing Department. Funds will not be disbursed until our office receives the proper
paperwork for the loan.
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Funds Disbursement | |||||||||||||||
Financial aid funds are first applied to a student’s account balance and any excess
funds are mailed to you in the form of a check or directly deposited into your personal
bank account.
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Exit Requirements | |||||||||||||||
Every time a student’s enrollment is less than half time, graduates or withdrawals
from the UGA, they must complete an Exit Interview Questionnaire. It must be completely filled out, signed and returned to Student Account Services
– Loan Servicing department. If the completed Exit questionnaire is not returned to
our office, the student’s UGA records are flagged until the proper paperwork is completed.
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Interest Information | |||||||||||||||
The annual percentage rate per the terms of the promissory note is computed on the
unpaid balance. Interest does not accrue while students are enrolled for at least
half-time. However, interest will begin to accrue after a nine month grace period
following graduation, withdrawal or enrollment less than half time.
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Prepayment Information | |||||||||||||||
Borrowers may, without penalty, prepay on their loan. Prepayments are used to reduce
the amount of outstanding loan principal and decrease the repayment period and related
total interest charge. If you pay more than your monthly payment, the additional amount
will automatically be applied to principal unless you otherwise designate. If partial
prepayments on the loan are made, the next monthly payment will still be due as originally
scheduled. Borrower’s who wish to have prepayments applied to the next scheduled payment(s)
of their loan, must request this in writing accompanying their payment. Installment
payments in advance must equal or exceed the scheduled amount of future installment(s).
If you would like to make a prepayment on your UGA Perkins loan, you may write a letter
of your intentions or use our Prepayment Letter.
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Credit Bureau Reporting | |||||||||||||||
In accordance with federal regulations, all loan information including loan balances
and repayment histories are reported to National Credit Bureaus at the time of disbursements
and continually reported monthly until the loan is paid in full.
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Deferment Benefits Definition and Types | |||||||||||||||
A deferment allows the temporary postponement of principal payments and in some cases
also interest payments while you meet certain criteria. The Federal Perkins Loan program
has several deferment provisions which in general include a six month grace period
after your deferment ends. Each deferment has different criteria you must meet in
order to receive the benefit. Please read the following types of deferments to determine
if you may qualify for the benefit. If you believe that you are eligible for a deferment,
please follow the instructions under that provision and call us for further instructions.
It is the borrower's responsibility to file the request for deferment on a timely
basis. Failure to submit the deferment forms by the due date may result in the reporting
of past due information to the Credit Bureau on your account. Please remember it is
your responsibility to contact our office to apply for a deferment.
Economic Hardship Deferment Borrowers who are experiencing an economic hardship may be eligible for loan deferment.
Economic hardship is defined as: 1) Borrower working full time but earning an amount
that does not exceed the greater of the federal minimum wage or an amount equal to
100% of the poverty line for a family of two and 2) Borrower’s student loan debt is
excessive in comparison to their income, as defined by Federal Regulations. This deferment
can be granted for up to six months per request and cannot exceed three years. This
deferment allows the suspension of only principal repayments, interest continues to
accrue, during the deferment period and allows a six month grace period before repayment
resumes. To request your loan to be placed in deferment based on the criteria of Economic
Hardship, you must submit the Economic Hardship Deferment Request form. All applicable sections of the forms must be completed in full. Additional
documentation may be requested by our office. The completed forms must be returned
to our office for the deferment to be granted.
Borrowers whose Title IV debt burden equals or exceeds 20% of their gross income
may be eligible for a repayment forbearance deferment. This deferment can be granted
for up to six months per request and cannot exceed three years. This deferment allows
the temporary postponement of only principal repayments; interest continues to accrue
or allows the reduction of repayment amount for a limited time. This deferment also
allows a six month grace period before repayment resumes. To request your loan to
be placed in Forbearance, you must submit the General Forbearance Deferment Request form. All applicable sections of the forms must be completed in full. Additional
documentation may be requested by our office. The completed forms must be returned
to our office for the forbearance to be granted.
Borrowers who are full time students enrolled in a course of study that is part of
a graduate fellowship program approved by the Department. This deferment can be granted
for up to one year per request and reapplied for if you remain eligible. This deferment
allows the suspension of principal and interest (and interest does not accrue) repayments
during the deferment period and allows a six month grace period before repayment resumes.
To request your loan to be placed in deferment based Graduate Fellowship criteria,
you must print and complete the Graduate Fellowship Request form which must be certified by an authorized program official. The Graduate Fellowship
Request form must be received by our office in order to defer your repayment. If your
program prefers to use its own official certification, you may submit their certified
form in lieu of our Graduate Fellowship Request form. If you should leave the program
during a period of deferment, contact our office immediately.
Borrowers who are enrolled at least half-time in an eligible institution may be eligible
for a repayment deferment. This deferment can be granted for up to one year per request
and reapplied for if you remain eligible. This deferment allows the suspension of
principal and interest (and interest does not accrue) repayments during the deferment
period and allows a six month grace period before repayment resumes. To request your
loan to be placed in deferment based on the criteria you are enrolled at least half-time
at an eligible institution, you must print and complete the In-School Deferment form which must be certified and officially stamped by the Registrar at the school
you are attending. The In-School Deferment form must be received by our office in
order to defer your repayment. If your school prefers to use its own official certification,
you may submit their certified form in lieu of our In-School Deferment form. Remember,
if you did not attend school, you will be asked to make payment for all prior months
in which your loan was in deferred status when you became ineligible. If you should
leave school during a period of deferment, contact our office immediately.
Borrowers who serve on active duty or performing qualifying National Guard duty in
connection with a war, military operation or national emergency may be able to defer
repayment. This deferment ends 180 days after the borrower’s demobilization date for
the eligible active duty or National Guard service. There are other criteria that
you must meet in order to qualify for this deferment, so to request your loan to be
placed in deferment based on military service, you must contact our office for further
instructions.
Borrowers who are enrolled in a course of study which is a U.S. Department of Education
approved rehabilitation training program for disabled persons may qualify for a loan
deferment. This deferment can be granted for up to one year per request and reapplied
for if you remain eligible. This deferment allows the suspension of principal and
interest (and interest does not accrue) repayments during the deferment period and
allows a six month grace period before repayment resumes. To apply for this deferment,
please contact our office.
Borrowers who are eligible for a service cancellation may be eligible for a repayment
deferment. This deferment is allowed during the year of qualifying service and or
employment and allows the suspension of principal and accruing interest repayments.
At the end of the deferment period, borrowers who remain eligible would be able to
cancel a portion of the loan and then reapply for another deferment. For more information
on these types of deferments, please read the service cancellations section.
Borrowers who become temporarily totally disabled due to illness or injury and unable
to an attend school or be gainfully employed during a reasonable period of recovery
may qualify for a deferment upon receipt of medical documentation evidence, certified
by a physician’s affidavit. If you would like to inquire about one of these two options,
please contact our office or visit the following website: http://www.disabilitydischarge.com
Borrowers who are seeking, but are unable to find full time employment may be eligible
for a repayment deferment. This deferment can be granted for up to six months per
request and cannot exceed three years. This deferment allows the suspension of principal
and interest (and interest does not accrue) repayments during the deferment period
and allows a six month grace period before repayment resumes. To request your loan
to be placed in deferment based on the criteria of unemployment, you must submit to
our office the Unemployment Deferment form. All applicable sections of the form must be completed in full. Additional documentation
may be requested by our office. The completed form must be returned to our office
for the deferment to be granted.
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Loan Consolidation | |||||||||||||||
UGA does not offer a loan consolidation program. However, borrowers may consider
loan consolidation to make repayments of their total loan debt easier. Please understand
that if you consolidation your Federal Perkins Loan, you will lose any and all opportunity
for the service cancellation provisions. Remember, loan consolidation will negate
cancellation benefits.
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Cancellation Benefits | |||||||||||||||
Borrowers may be entitled to have up to 100% of the original principal loan amount
canceled if the borrower performs a year of qualifying service and or employment in
certain fields of work. A year of service is defined as 12 consecutive months of service;
see the exception for teaching services. No repayment amounts can be canceled for
services performed prior to the date the loan was disbursed or during the enrollment
period covered by the loan. The qualifying service must be performed after receiving
the loan. Any payments made by a borrower during a period for which the borrower qualified
for cancellation can not be refunded. Loans may be placed in a deferred status during
periods of time while the borrower is performing service eligible for cancellation.
Interest does accrue during these periods. Each cancellation provision has different
criteria you must meet in order to receive the benefit. Please read the following
types of cancellations to determine if you may qualify for the benefit. If you believe
that you are eligible for a cancellation, please follow the instructions under that
provision and call us for further instructions. It is the borrower's responsibility
to file the request for cancellation on a timely basis. Failure to submit the cancellation
forms by the due date may result in the reporting of past due information to the Credit
Bureau on your account. Please remember it is your responsibility to contact our office
to apply for a cancellation.
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Rate of Cancellation | |||||||||||||||
The cancellation rate per each completed year of qualifying full time service is:
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time employee of an eligible public or private
nonprofit child or family service agency and is directly and exclusively providing
or supervising the provision of services to high risk children who are from low-income
communities and the families of such children may qualify for a full or partial loan
cancellation. To request a cancellation for qualified Child or Family Agency service,
complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers employed as full-time qualified professional providers of early intervention
services in a public or other non profit program under public supervision may qualify
for a full or partial loan cancellation. Early intervention services are defined under
section 672(2) for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Services must
be provided to infant and toddlers with disabilities defined as those who a) have
diagnosed physical or mental conditions with high probabilities of resulting developmental
delay or b)are experiencing developmental delays in the areas of cognitive development,
physical development, language and speech development, psychosocial development, or
self-help skills. To request a cancellation for qualified Early Intervention service,
complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time firefighter may qualify for a full or partial
loan cancellation. To request a cancellation for qualified Firefighter service, complete
the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time professional staff member to carry out
the educational part of a Head Start program may qualify for a full or partial loan
cancellation. The program must operate for a full academic year or its equivalent
and the borrower's salary may not be more than that of a comparable employee working
for a local educational agency. To request a cancellation for qualified Head Start
Program service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full time nurse or medical technician providing health
care services directly to patients may qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation.
Nurses must be licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, or other nurses licensed
by the appropriate state agency to provide nursing services. Medical technicians are
defined as certified, registered or licensed allied health professionals who assist,
facilitate or complement the work of physicians and other specialists in health care
system. Examples of related fields of employment are: therapy, dental hygiene, medical
technology or nutrition. To request a cancellation for qualified Health Care service,
complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as full-time qualifying law enforcement or corrections
officer at an eligible employment agency may qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation.
Borrowers must meet two requirements: 1) be employed by an eligible agency and 2)
be employed full-time in a position which is considered essential to the agency's
primary mission. The employment agency must be: A publicly funded local, state or
federal agency whose activities pertain to crime prevention, control, reduction and/or
enforcement of criminal law. Such activities include: police efforts to prevent, control,
or reduce crime or to apprehend criminals; activities of courts and related agencies
having criminal jurisdiction; activities of corrections, probation, or parole authorities;
and problems relating to the prevention, control, or reduction of juvenile delinquency
or narcotic addiction. For the borrower's service to be considered essential to the
agency's primary mission, the borrower must be full-time, a sworn officer, or person
whose principal responsibilities are unique to the criminal justice system and are
essential in the performance of the agency's primary mission (i.e. supportive positions
are not eligible). To request a cancellation for qualified Law Enforcement service,
complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time librarian with a master’s degree, working
in an elementary school eligible for assistance under Title I of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA-I) or in a public library, serving an area containing
an ESEA-I eligible school, may qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation. To
request a cancellation for qualified Librarian service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers serving a complete year of full-time active duty in the Armed Forces, the
National Guard or the Reserves may qualify for a partial loan cancellation of up to
50% of the original loan amount. The service must be in an area of hostilities or
an area of imminent danger which qualifies for special pay under Section 310 of Title
37 of the U.S. Code. A complete year is defined as 12 consecutive months. Service
for less than a complete year or any fraction of a year does not qualify. To request
a cancellation for Armed Forces service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and dates of service rendered must be officially verified by your
Commanding Officer. You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify
your qualification for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation
must be returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status
pending completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted.
A request for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is
the borrower’s responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified
due dates.
Borrowers who perform service as a volunteer (as defined under Title I, Part A of
the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973) in the Peace Corps or Americorps*VISTA
may qualify for a partial cancellation of up to 70% of the original loan amount. To
request a cancellation for Peace Corps or Americorps*VISTA service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and dates of service rendered must be officially verified by an
authorized official of the program. You also may be asked to provide additional documentation
to verify your qualification for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional
documentation must be returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred
status pending completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted.
A request for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is
the borrower’s responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified
due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time attorney in a public defender organization
may qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation. To request a cancellation for
qualified full time attorney in a public defender organization service, complete the
Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are employed as a full-time speech language pathologist with a master’s
degree working exclusively with an elementary school eligible for assistance under
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA-I) may qualify for a full
or partial loan cancellation. To request a cancellation for qualified Speech Language
Pathologist service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by your employer.
You also may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify your qualification
for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional documentation must be
returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred status pending
completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted. A request
for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is the borrower’s
responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified due dates.
Borrowers who are full time teachers employed by educational service agencies may
qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation. Teacher cancellations are not only
based on position title but mainly on job duties. Listed below are some of the areas
that qualify for this cancellation. Remember each one has certain criteria you must
meet in order to qualify and you should call our office to determine your eligibility.
Borrowers who are full time faculty members at a tribal college may qualify for a
full or partial loan cancellation. To request a cancellation for qualified full time
faculty member at a tribal college service, complete the Deferment OR Partial Cancellation Certification form. The service and employment dates must be officially verified by the school
where you are employed. You also may be asked to provide additional documentation
to verify your qualification for a cancellation. The form and if necessary any additional
documentation must be returned to our office before your loan can be placed in a deferred
status pending completion of a year’s worth of service or a cancellation can be granted.
A request for cancellation will be due for each year of service rendered and it is
the borrower’s responsibility to file the appropriate cancellation forms by the specified
due dates.
Borrowers who become totally and permanently disabled after receiving loan funds
may qualify for a full or partial loan cancellation upon receipt of medical documentation
evidence, certified by a physician’s affidavit. In the event of a borrower’s death,
the borrower’s family may send us an original or certified copy of the death certificate
and the loan can be discharged. If you would like to inquire about one of these two
options, please contact our office or visit the following website: http://www.disabilitydischarge.com.
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Loan Disputes Information | |||||||||||||||
If you have a Federal Perkins Loan dispute with UGA, please contact our office at
706-542-2965. If after you contact our office, you feel you still have a dispute,
you may contact the Department of Education Ombudsman’s Office by:
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Updating Personal Information | |||||||||||||||
It is imperative, without exception, that borrowers update the Student Accounts –
Loan Servicing department of any personal information changes. We cannot correspond
with you about your University of Georgia Federal Regents Scholarship loan in a timely
basis without a correct and updated address. Updating your address with the University
of Georgia Registrar's Office or on the OASIS Registration System will not automatically
update your address for UGA Federal Perkins loan. Therefore, students are required
to contact the Student Accounts – Loan Servicing Department by phone or by completing
and return to our office the Personal Information Change and or Update form, every time any personal information changes. Here are some examples of changes
in personal information, but not limited to the following:
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Forms | |||||||||||||||
All forms pertaining to the Federal Perkins Loan at UGA can be viewed and printed
by clicking the word Forms.
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Questions | |||||||||||||||
If you have any question, please contact us by:
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