If you received a student loan from the Santa Barbara Foundation, here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about loan repayment.
Carefully review the terms of your undergraduate student loan agreement. Starting with Foundation loans made in May 2010, 100% of the loan amount borrowed must be repaid. Prior to this date, the terms of undergraduate student loan agreements stated that when 50% of the loan has been repaid in a timely manner, the remaining balance is forgiven and the loan is considered paid in full. Note: Failure to make timely and full payments or failure to respond to Foundation inquiries means that your account will be sent to a collection agency and interest will accrue. For students with undergraduate loans awarded prior to the 2010-2011 academic year, you will be responsible for repaying 100% of the total amount borrowed if your account is sent to collections.
Under the terms of the Harold R. Schwalenberg Medical School Loan, if you continue to practice substantially full-time as a general/family practitioner or as an internist, you are entitled to a matching credit of 50% of the total loan amount borrowed.
You may be eligible for deferment of your Foundation Student Loan repayment based on one of these five reasons:
- You have been notified that you are expected to begin repayment of your student loan, but you are still full-time enrolled in a Title IV-approved college or vocational school program. Please note, however, that the amount of time an undergraduate loan may be deferred for graduate school enrollment (all except full M.D. programs) is limited to four years.
- You are dealing with an unusual economic hardship. (Please note: In this case, deferral is granted once only, and only for a time period of three months.)
- You have a documented illness or injury that prevents you from working or attending school for an extended period of time.
- You will be serving for a period of time in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or on a mission related to your church.
- You are in a branch of the U.S. Military Reserves and you have been called to full-time active duty status.
If you believe that one of these reasons applies to your situation, please click on the following link and print out and then complete the PDF Loan Deferment Request Form.
Make sure that you attach the required verification documents and mail the form and documents to: Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, P.O. Box 3620, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.
You will receive a written response granting or denying your request for deferment. It is your responsibility to send the Loan Deferment Request Form with verification of enrollment or a medical excuse prior to when your first payment is due and to meet all loan obligations while the deferment request is being reviewed. Deferments are granted on a year-to-year basis. Students need to submit a new Loan Deferment Request Form and required documents each year.
We are not able to process direct debit transactions at this time. However, you can make online arrangements with your bank to send auto-pay checks from your bank account each month. Request that your bank includes your loan number on all correspondence, and make sure it is payable to the Santa Barbara Foundation.
Call our office at (805) 687-6065 or e-mail your request for balance information to [email protected]. When you contact us about your loan, please have your loan number ready and include your loan number on all correspondence.