London Film School is eligible to participate in the William D. Ford Direct Student Loan Program authorised by US Education Department The documents below set out recent changes in the system and guides through the application process.
The US government requires institutions which offer federal student loans to disclose information about financial aid, completion and retention rates, the campus, etc. the London Film School has made the Consumer Information available on a separate page which can be found here: US Federal Student Aid: Consumer Information
Policies relevant to US Federal Loans can be found below:
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Important: please ensure you first read our US FSA Application Guidance and the information contained on our website carefully.
Cost of Attendance 2020/21
The Cost of Attendance (CoA) is the total amount it will cost you to attend LFS per academic year and is usually stated as a yearly figure. If you start your course in January or May, the cost will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
It is important to remember that you are borrowing money from the U.S. taxpayer and the CoA has been calculated to reflect a typical student’s standard of living. Further, the loan can only cover your own study-related expenses (unless you have dependents).
Our Cost of Attendance spreadsheet gives you a weekly breakdown of some of those costs to help you budget better and give you a better understanding of the cost of living in London. The costs have also been listed below.
Please note that financial assistance is only available while you’re at least studying half-time, i.e. not during the summer holidays.
You can always borrow less than the cost of attendance, but you cannot borrow more unless you have special circumstances that affect your Cost of Attendance.
The loans available are:
| Subsidised | No longer available to postgraduates | |
| Unsubsidised | $20,500 max, Interest charged while in school | Origination Fee deducted at Disbursement |
| PLUS Loan | Max value set by School (Cost of Attendance) | Origination Fee deducted at Disbursement |
Origination Fees
The US Education Department charge an origination fee on all loans and this is deducted from each disbursement. The value of the fees and the disbursements are shown in the cost of attendance spreadsheet. For more detailed information, see the Education Department's Student Aid Website
How much can you borrow – Cost of Attendance:
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is the total amount it will cost you to attend LFS. Our Cost of Attendance spreadsheet has all this information built-in, but you can also find an overview below. More information can be found in our US FSA Application Guidance which also contains information about the application process.
| Cost of Attendance | Amount (in GBP) for MA Filmmaking | Amount (in GBP) for MA Screenwriting |
| Tuition and Fees | Check your offer letter | Check your offer letter |
| Room | £ 200.00 per week | £ 200.00 per week |
| Board | £ 80.00 per week | £ 80.00 per week |
| Books and Study Supplies | £ 22.00 per week | £ 22.00 per week |
| Transportation | £ 35.30 per week | £ 35.30 per week |
| Personal | £ 80.00 per week | £ 80.00 per week |
| 2 Return Flights | £ 1,600.00 (one-off, single cost) | £ 1,600.00 (one-off, single cost) |
| Visa Application and Associated Fees | £ 1,250.00 (one-off, single cost; new students only) | £ 800.00 (one-off, single cost; new students only) |
You may also choose to include the following in your Cost of Attendance:
- Personal computer: up to £800.00 for the documented rental or purchase of a personal computer that you will use for study for the enrolment period; this can only be included once for the entire course.
- Origination fees: you may be able to include the origination fees required to receive the loan.
Please do not hesitate to contact us on us-loans@lfs.org.uk if you have any unusual expenses that might affect your CoA.
Please note our School Code: G10574
Student loan amounts are per year. The loan, however, is divided into equal disbursements and normally paid over three (3) terms for students starting in August/September, two (2) for students starting in January and one (1) for students starting in April/May. Students with less than three terms left in an academic year will have the loan amount divided into equal disbursements for the remainder of their studies (one per remaining term).
Any amounts owed by the student are deducted from the disbursement as per the offer letter. The credit balance, if any, is paid into the student’s bank account within 14 days of the disbursement date.
Please note that financial assistance is only available while you’re at least studying half-time, i.e. not during the summer holidays.
Important external links: