What happens if you find out you’re short on financial aid going into next semester? It happens more often than you think – especially for first time families. 

Mid-year financial shortfalls happen, driven by housing changes, course fees, study-abroad plans, or even transferring schools. The good news: students can still secure a loan during the academic year. The more difficult news: timing matters, and waiting until the need arises often leads to delays.

This timing mismatch is one reason students explore an Education Line of Credit. Instead of applying for a new loan every time a funding gap appears, an ELOC can offer a standing credit line¹ that students draw from as needed.

Our partner, Student Choice, and the credit unions with whom they work, offers this helpful tool to navigate your education costs. Check out Student Choice here and see if an Education Line of Credit makes sense for you >>

Why Mid-Year Borrowing Can Be Complicated

Financial aid processes are built around the academic calendar, not real life. FAFSA applications open in the fall, then institutional aid awards typically arrive in spring, and student loan applications happen during the summer. 

When students borrow at a different point (say between semesters or after an unexpected balance appears) they may encounter four common hurdles:

1. School certification delays. Each loan must be verified by the financial aid office to ensure the loan does not exceed the student’s cost of attendance. During peak periods, processing times may be delayed.
2. Multiple applications. Students who rely on traditional private loans often apply more than once per year. Each application requires repeated credit checks, document uploads, and coordination with co-signers.
3. Limited flexibility. A single loan either covers a term or year. And it’s disbursed once a semester. When another expense appears (textbooks, lab fees) the student may not have the funds.
4. Time pressure. Students who learn about a past-due balance or payment deadline days before registration may feel squeezed between their school’s requirements and their lender’s approval timeline.

These factors don’t make mid-year borrowing impossible – they simply make it more stressful. 

How An Education Line Of Credit Changes The Process

An Education Line of Credit (ELOC), such as those available through credit unions that work with Student Choice, is structured differently from a traditional private student loan. Instead of issuing a single disbursement per semester, an ELOC gives students a pre-approved credit limit they can tap whenever an expense arises. The approval process happens once, and the line of credit remains available for future academic years, subject to the loan’s terms.

The two biggest advantages for families are continuity and control.

• Continuity: With an established credit limit, students don’t need to reapply for every semester or small expense. That helps smooth out financial interruptions, making mid-year needs far easier to handle.
• Control: Students borrow only what they need, when they need it. Instead of taking out a large lump-sum loan each term, they can draw smaller amounts throughout the year – an approach that may reduce overall borrowing costs.

ELOCs also tend to streamline documentation if you have co-signers, since repeated application cycles for traditional loans can be time-consuming. By reducing paperwork and offering consistent access to funds, an ELOC can cut down on the last-minute scramble that often drives families to urgent borrowing.

How An ELOC Helps Students Avoid The “Last-Minute” Crunch

A common pattern emerges in mid-year borrowing: students didn’t secure funding for the second semester because they didn’t know if they’d be attending. Or the didn’t get enough financial aid, and savings were tight to pay a second semester out of pocket. Because deadlines for paying the bill can be tight, even a short delay in loan certification can have ripple effects.

With an Education Line of Credit already in place, students can request a disbursement quickly, without restarting the entire application process. This approach may help with:

• Unexpected course fees such as lab materials or technology requirements.
• Housing changes when students move on or off campus mid-year.
• Changes to financial plans such as job changes that may make paying cash for college challenging in the short term.

Even when expenses are predictable (textbooks, housing, meal plans) households don’t always have a clear picture of the total cost until the semester is underway. An ELOC can act as a financial buffer that protects against timing issues rather than increasing long-term debt.

What This Means For Students And Families

If you’re already between semesters and looking for funding options, check out an Education Line of Credit.

Planning now can generally ensure you face fewer administrative hurdles in the future. That’s especially true for those who prefer not to apply for multiple private loans each year. 

Students still need to consider interest rates, repayment terms, and other borrower protections. But for households navigating shifting college expenses, an ELOC can simplify the process and reduce the urgency that often accompanies mid-year funding needs.

Check out Student Choice and get a quote here >>