How long will it take to process a student loan?

"Student loan certification in process"...How long does this take?

• I applied for a stafford loan on September 3, and I checked my loan status today, and it said "application complete- certification in process" How long does certification take. I started school around the end of August. I received pell grant, but it was not enough to cover everything.

• Answer:

  CG: Certification of a Stafford is a very simple process - the lender contacts your school and verifies: 1. That you are currently enrolled 2. That you are attending at least half-time (registered for 6 or more credit hours) 3. The amount of your unmet "financial aid need". Your school will tell the lender how much you need to pay your school expenses - they determine that by taking into consideration any other money (like that Pell Grant) that you have already received. That's the maximum that the lender can actually approve you for. This process doesn't take more than a few days - assuming that your financial aid office is efficient. If you've been waiting more than a week, contact the aid office, and ask them to investigate the delay. Good luck to you!