§1083. Student loan information by eligible lenders

(a) Required disclosure before disbursement

Each eligible lender, at or prior to the time such lender disburses a loan that is insured or guaranteed under this part (other than a loan made under section 1078–3 of this title), shall provide thorough and accurate loan information on such loan to the borrower in simple and understandable terms. Any disclosure required by this subsection may be made by an eligible lender by written or electronic means, including as part of the application material provided to the borrower, as part of the promissory note evidencing the loan, or on a separate written form provided to the borrower. Each lender shall provide to each borrower a telephone number, and may provide an electronic address, through which additional loan information can be obtained. The disclosure shall include-

(1) a statement prominently and clearly displayed and in bold print that the borrower is receiving a loan that must be repaid;

(2) the name of the eligible lender, and the address to which communications and payments should be sent;

(3) the principal amount of the loan;

(4) the amount of any charges, such as the origination fee and insurance premium, collected by the lender at or prior to the disbursal of the loan and whether such charges are deducted from the proceeds of the loan or paid separately by the borrower;

(5) the stated interest rate on the loan;

(6) the yearly and cumulative maximum amounts that may be borrowed;

(7) an explanation of when repayment of the loan will be required and when the borrower will be obligated to pay interest that accrues on the loan;

(8) a statement as to the minimum and maximum repayment term which the lender may impose, and the minimum annual payment required by law;

(9) a statement of the total cumulative balance, including the loan applied for, owed by the student to that lender, and an estimate of the projected monthly payment, given such cumulative balance;

(10) an explanation of any special options the borrower may have for loan consolidation or other refinancing of the loan;

(11) a statement that the borrower has the right to prepay all or part of the loan, at any time, without penalty, a statement summarizing circumstances in which repayment of the loan or interest that accrues on the loan may be deferred, and a brief notice of the program for repayment of loans, on the basis of military service, pursuant to section 902 of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1981 (10 U.S.C. 2141, note); ¹

(12) a definition of default and the consequences to the borrower if the borrower defaults, including a statement that the default will be reported to a credit bureau or credit reporting agency;

(13) to the extent practicable, the effect of accepting the loan on the eligibility of the borrower for other forms of student assistance; and

(14) an explanation of any cost the borrower may incur in the making or collection of the loan.

(b) Required disclosure before repayment

Each eligible lender shall, at or prior to the start of the repayment period of the student borrower on loans made, insured, or guaranteed under this part, disclose to the borrower by written or electronic means the information required under this subsection in simple and understandable terms. Each eligible lender shall provide to each borrower a telephone number, and may provide an electronic address, through which additional loan information can be obtained. For any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under this part, other than a loan made under section 1078–2 or 1078–3 of this title, such disclosure required by this subsection shall be made not less than 30 days nor more than 240 days before the first payment on the loan is due from the borrower. The disclosure shall include-

(1) the name of the eligible lender, and the address to which communications and payments should be sent;

(2) the scheduled date upon which the repayment period is to begin;

(3) the estimated balance owed by the borrower on the loan or loans covered by the disclosure as of the scheduled date on which the repayment period is to begin (including, if applicable, the estimated amount of interest to be capitalized);

(4) the stated interest rate on the loan or loans, or the combined interest rate of loans with different stated interest rates;

(5) the nature of any fees which may accrue or be charged to the borrower during the repayment period;

(6) the repayment schedule for all loans covered by the disclosure including the date the first installment is due, and the number, amount, and frequency of required payments;

(7) an explanation of any special options the borrower may have for loan consolidation or other refinancing of the loan and of the availability and terms of such other options, except that such explanation is not required when the loan being made is a consolidation loan under section 1078–3 of this title;

(8) except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, the projected total of interest charges which the borrower will pay on the loan or loans, assuming that the borrower makes payments exactly in accordance with the repayment schedule; and

(9) a statement that the borrower has the right to prepay all or part of the loan or loans covered by the disclosure at any time without penalty.

(c) Cost of disclosure and consequences of nondisclosure

Such information shall be available without cost to the borrower. The failure of an eligible lender to provide information as required by this section shall not (1) relieve a borrower of the obligation to repay a loan in accordance with its terms, (2) provide a basis for a claim for civil damages, or (3) be deemed to abrogate the obligation of the Secretary under a contract of insurance or reinsurance, or the obligation of a guaranty agency under a contract of guaranty. Nothing in this section shall be construed as subjecting the lender to the Truth in Lending Act [15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.] with regard to loans made under this part. The Secretary may limit, suspend, or terminate the continued participation of an eligible lender in making loans under this part for failure by that lender to comply with this section.

(d) Separate statement

Each eligible lender shall, at the time such lender notifies a borrower of approval of a loan which is insured or guaranteed under this part, provide the borrower with a separate paper which summarizes (in plain English) the rights and responsibilities of the borrower with respect to the loan, including a statement of the consequences of defaulting on the loan and a statement that each borrower who defaults will be reported to a credit bureau. The requirement of this subsection shall be in addition to the information required by subsection (a) of this section.

(e) Special disclosure rules on SLS loans and PLUS loans and unsubsidized loans

Loans made under sections 1078–1,² 1078–2, and 1078–8 of this title shall not be subject to the disclosure of projected monthly payment amounts required under subsection (b)(8) of this section if the lender, in lieu of such disclosure, provides the borrower with sample projections of monthly repayment amounts assuming different levels of borrowing and interest accruals resulting from capitalization of interest while the borrower is in school. Such sample projections shall disclose the cost to the student of capitalizing-

(1) principal and interest; and

(2) interest only.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, §433, as added Pub. L. 99–498, title IV, §402(a), Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1406 ; amended Pub. L. 100–50, §10(z), June 3, 1987, 101 Stat. 346 ; Pub. L. 102–325, title IV, §426, July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 548 ; Pub. L. 103–208, §2(c)(53), (54), (k)(4), Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2468 , 2485; Pub. L. 105–244, title IV, §428, Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1704 .)

References in Text

Section 902 of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1981, referred to in subsec. (a)(11), is section 902 of Pub. L. 96–342, title IX, Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1115 , as amended, which was set out as a note under section 2141 of Title 10, Armed Forces, and was repealed by Pub. L. 99–145, title VI, §671(a)(3), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 663 . See section 16302 of Title 10.

Truth in Lending Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is title I of Pub. L. 90–321, May 29, 1968, 82 Stat. 146 , as amended, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§1601 et seq.) of chapter 41 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1601 of Title 15 and Tables.

Section 1078–1 of this title, referred to in subsec. (e), was repealed by Pub. L. 103–66, title IV, §4047(b)–(d), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 364 , eff. July 1, 1994, except with respect to loans provided under that section as it existed prior to Aug. 10, 1993. Subsequently, a new section 1078–1, relating to voluntary flexible agreements with guaranty agencies, was enacted by Pub. L. 105–244, title IV, §418, Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1691 .

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1083, Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, §433, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1247 ; Pub. L. 90–575, title I, §116(d), Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1024 ; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, §132(c), June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 261 ; Pub. L. 94–482, title I, §127(a), Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2129 ; Pub. L. 95–43, §1(a)(34), June 15, 1977, 91 Stat. 216 ; Pub. L. 96–374, title XIII, §1391(a)(1), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1503 , related to requirements for institutional lenders, prior to the general revision of this part by Pub. L. 99–498.

A prior section 1083a, Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, §433A, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title IV, §418, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1423 ; amended Pub. L. 97–301, §13(a), Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1404 ; Pub. L. 98–79, §3(a), Aug. 15, 1983, 97 Stat. 476 ; Pub. L. 99–272, title XVI, §16012(c), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 340 , related to student loan information to be provided by eligible lenders, prior to the general revision of this part by Pub. L. 99–498. See section 1083 of this title.

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–244, §428(a), amended heading and introductory provisions generally. Prior to amendment, introductory provisions read as follows: "Each eligible lender shall, at or prior to the time such lender disburses a loan which is insured or guaranteed under this part (other than a loan made under section 1078–3 of this title), provide thorough and accurate loan information on such loan to the borrower. Any disclosure required by this subsection may be made by an eligible lender as part of the written application material provided to the borrower, or as part of the promissory note evidencing the loan, or on a separate written form provided to the borrower. The disclosure shall include-".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–244, §428(b), amended heading and introductory provisions generally. Prior to amendment, introductory provisions read as follows: "Each eligible lender shall, at or prior to the start of the repayment period of the student borrower on loans made, insured, or guaranteed under this part, disclose to the borrower the information required under this subsection. For any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under this part, other than a loan made under section 1078–2 or 1078–3 of this title, such disclosure required by this subsection shall be made not less than 30 days nor more than 240 days before the first payment on the loan is due from the borrower. The disclosure shall include-".

1993-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–208, §2(c)(53), substituted "30 days" for "60 days" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–208, §2(k)(4), amended directory language of Pub. L. 102–325, §426(c). See 1992 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 103–208, §2(c)(54), substituted "sections" for "section" before "1078–1".

1992-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–325, §426(a), added par. (1) and redesignated former pars. (1) to (13) as (2) to (14), respectively.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–325, §426(b)(1), in introductory provisions, inserted second sentence and struck out former second sentence which read as follows: "Any disclosure required by this subsection may be made by an eligible lender either in a promissory note evidencing the loan or loans or in a written statement provided to the borrower."

Subsec. (b)(8). Pub. L. 102–325, §426(b)(2), inserted "except as provided in subsection (e) of this section," before "the projected".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–325, §426(c), as amended by Pub. L. 103–208, §2(k)(4), added subsec. (e).

1987-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–50, §10(z)(1), inserted "(other than a loan made under section 1078–3 of this title)" after "this part" in first sentence.

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 100–50, §10(z)(2), added par. (8) and struck out former par. (8) which read as follows: "a statement of the total cumulative balance, including the loan applied for, owed by the student to that lender, the projected level of indebtedness of the student based on a 4-year college career, and an estimate of the projected monthly repayment given the level of indebtedness over a 4- or 5-year college career;".

Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 100–50, §10(z)(3), inserted ", except that such explanation is not required when the loan being made is a consolidation loan under section 1078–3 of this title" before semicolon at end.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–50, §10(z)(4), substituted "notifies a borrower of approval of a loan" for "makes the first disbursement of a loan with respect to a borrower".

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

Amendment by section 2(c)(53) of Pub. L. 103–208 effective on and after 60 days after Dec. 20, 1993 and amendments by section 2(c)(54), (k)(4) of Pub. L. 103–208 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102–325, see section 5(a), (b)(4) of Pub. L. 103–208, set out as a note under section 1051 of this title.

Effective Date of 1987 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–50 effective as if enacted as part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1986, Pub. L. 99–498, see section 27 of Pub. L. 100–50, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 17, 1986, with subsecs. (a), (b), and (d) of this section applicable only with respect to loans disbursed on or after Jan. 1, 1987, or made to cover the costs of instruction for periods of enrollment beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1987, see section 402(b) of Pub. L. 99–498, set out as a note under section 1071 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 1077a of this title.

¹ See References in Text note below.

² See References in Text note below.