WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched an online application for Direct Loan customers. This tool is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency to streamline its processes, improve customer service and expand credit access.
The online farm loan application replicates the support an applicant would receive when completing a loan application in person with an FSA farm loan officer while continuing to provide customers with one-on-one assistance as needed.
Through a personalized dashboard, borrowers can track the progress of their loan application. It can be accessed on farmers.gov or by completing FSA’s Loan Assistance Tool at farmers.gov/loan-assistance-tool. To use the online loan application tool, producers must establish a USDA customer account and a USDA Level 2 eAuthentication account or a Login.gov account.
Initially, the online application tool is only available for producers who will be or are currently operating their farm as an individual. FSA is expanding the tools availability to married couples applying jointly and other legal entities in 2024.
FSA continues to accept and review individual requests for assistance from qualifying borrowers who took certain extraordinary measures to avoid delinquency on their direct FSA loans or those who were unable to make a recent installment or are unable to make their next scheduled installment for installments through Jan. 15. All requests for assistance must be received by Dec. 31.
For more information, or to submit a request for assistance, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/inflation-reduction-investments/assistance.
