If an individual whose prior loan or TEACH Grant service obligation was discharged due to a total and permanent disability later wishes to take out a new Direct Loan at The Catholic University of America, the student must do the following:
If you received this requirement and do not intend to seek new loans, please contact our office. You may still be eligible for federal or state grants.
- Sign a statement acknowledging that the new loan cannot later be discharged for any present impairment unless it deteriorates so that the individual is again totally and permanently disabled. Download and print this form to complete this requirement. Electronic signatures are not acceptable.
- Obtain a certification from a physician (who must be a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice in the U.S.) that the student has the ability to engage in substantial gainful activity. Substantial gainful activity (SGA) is a term used to describe a level of work activity and earnings that involves significant physical or mental effort in exchange for pay or profit. The following statement should be submitted on the physician's letterhead along with a wet signature, address, date, and physician's contact information:
Student Name
Student Date of Birth
I hereby certify that the above‐referenced patient’s condition is now such that he/she is able to engage in substantial gainful activity.
The student must submit a new acknowledgment before each new loan can be awarded. The student only needs to obtain the physician certification once during the program of study. A new physician's certification may be required if an extended period of time passes between new loans, such as a leave of absence.
The requirements described above apply to all individuals who wish to receive new Direct Loans after a prior TPD discharge, regardless of how they qualified for the TPD discharge or when the TPD discharge was granted.
If someone who received a TPD discharge based on an SSA disability determination or a medical professional’s certification wishes to receive a new loan or TEACH Grant during the three-year post-discharge monitoring period, the previously discharged loan or TEACH Grant service obligation will be reinstated before the individual can receive the new loan or TEACH Grant.
Please note that The Catholic University of America does not participate in the TEACH Grant program. However, previously discharged TEACH Grants from other institutions may cause this requirement.
Substantial gainful activity (SGA) is a term used to describe a level of work activity and earnings that involves significant physical or mental effort in exchange for pay or profit.