Fertility Treatment Loan Overview


The Fertility Treatment Loan Program provides interest-free loans of up to $25,000 to low- and moderate-income residents of New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island to support the cost of fertility treatments, including fertility medications, artificial insemination (IUI), IVF, surrogacy, egg freezing, and donor eggs.

Loan applicants must have annual pre-tax household income at or below the income limits for their household size. If your annual pre-tax household income is slightly above the limit in the chart below, please contact Loan@HFLS.org to speak with a Loan Officer about your specific situation; you may still qualify for an HFLS loan.

The loan amount is based on the expenses incurred by the applicant. An applicant may apply for up to $25,000, and HFLS will disburse loan funds upon receiving documentation of the expenses incurred. Loans are repaid over five years, with a maximum repayment amount of $417/month for a $25,000 loan.

All loans have a one-month grace period before repayments begin. Repayments are made on either the 5th or the 20th of each month; borrowers select their preference before HFLS disburses the loan. All loan repayments are made by electronic debit of a checking account.

Since HFLS lends to households, a married couple is considered one borrower. If an applicant is married or partnered, he or she must include their spouse’s/partner’s information in the application.

Guarantor Information

Two guarantors are required for all loans, and both guarantors must complete and sign Guarantor Forms. A married couple is considered one guarantor. If a guarantor is married or partnered, his or her spouse/partner must also complete and sign the Guarantor Form.  

Each guarantor is “jointly” and “severally” liable for the loan in the event a borrower is unable to pay for any reason. This means that, while HFLS would expect each guarantor to share equally in the responsibility of repaying the loan, each is legally liable for the full amount, and any one guarantor could be called upon to repay the balance due.

Guarantors must meet the following criteria:

  • US citizens or legal residents currently living in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
  • Have a checking account, good credit, and pre-tax household income of at least $50,000 a year
  • Currently employed (HFLS prefers persons who have worked at least one year in their present position), or if retired, can demonstrate their ability to repay through pension/retirement income or assets.

Even if they meet the requirements above, the following people may not guarantee a loan:

  • You, your spouse/partner, or your dependents
  • Persons who currently have an HFLS loan or are a guarantor on an HFLS loan
  • Persons who are financially unable to repay the loan

Application Process

  1. Complete and submit the online loan application for this program, which includes uploading the following required documents:

From the borrower:

  • Online Loan Application submitted by the applicant and including information for their spouse or partner, if relevant. Please see below for the link to the online application.
  • Invoices, bills, or other documentation of fertility treatment costs that are no more than one year old.

      From the guarantors:

      • Online Guarantor Form submitted by the guarantor and including information for their spouse or partner, if relevant. The guarantor will receive an email including a unique link to an online Guarantor Form after the applicant submits their application.
      1. Follow the instructions you’ll receive in an email from HFLS to complete the ID-Pal identity and ID document verifications and authorize HFLS to view your recent checking account transactions through Plaid.
      1. Remind your guarantor(s) to complete the ID-Pal verification and online guarantor form. They will receive an email from HFLS containing the link and instructions for ID-Pal, and they may then complete the guarantor form. (HFLS emails may go to their spam/junk folder; please ask them to check there if they do not see HFLS emails in their inbox.)

      After receiving the completed application, required documents, guarantor form(s), and ID-Pal verifications, an HFLS Loan Officer will contact you to request any missing information and schedule a 15-minute loan interview by phone. 

      During the interview, the Loan Officer will ask any questions they have about your application, explain the loan closing process and loan terms, and answer any questions you have.

      Due to the high volume of applications, we ask that you do NOT contact HFLS about the status of your application. HFLS reviews complete applications only in the order in which they are received. If you have not heard from a Loan Officer, it is because one or more of the steps above is not complete or because HFLS is processing applications that were completed before yours.

      Loan Decisions & Closing

      HFLS reviews and decides on loan applications daily. If we have questions about your application or guarantor, you may receive a call or email from a Loan Officer asking for further information before HFLS will make its decision.

      HFLS, in its discretion, may decline to make a loan, make a loan in an amount less than that requested, or require different or additional guarantors.

      If your loan is approved, you will receive an email with loan closing documents for you to complete and sign electronically via DocuSign. The loan closing paperwork includes:

      • A Promissory Note, to be signed by the borrower, guarantor, and all spouses
      • An Authorization of Automatic Payments (ACH) form, so the loan funds can be transferred directly into your checking account and so HFLS can withdraw monthly loan repayments directly from your checking account.

      Once HFLS receives the electronically signed documents above, we will disburse your loan funds directly into your checking account within three business days. (Please note that it may take a few extra days after the disbursement for the loan funds to appear in your checking account.)