{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-the-sba-itself-charge-any-direct-fees-to-the-borrower-or-just-the-lender","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/questions/does-the-sba-itself-charge-any-direct-fees-to-the-borrower-or-just-the-lender","question":"Does the SBA itself charge any direct fees to the borrower, or just the lender?","topic":"Rate & fees","audience":"borrower","bot_mode":"buyer","short_answer":"The SBA charges an upfront guaranty fee and an ongoing service fee to the lender, but these are typically passed through to the borrower as part of the loan costs.","rule":"The SBA does not directly invoice the borrower for fees. Instead, the lender pays these fees to the SBA. However, the lender is permitted to pass these costs onto the borrower, usually by financing them within the loan amount or collecting them at closing.","example":"For a $1,000,000 loan, the lender pays an upfront guaranty fee (e.g., 3.5%) and an annual service fee (e.g., 0.55%) to the SBA. The lender then recovers these costs from the borrower as part of the loan structure.","what_lenders_check":"Lenders must accurately calculate and remit the correct fees to the SBA and ensure these costs are transparently disclosed to the borrower.","required_facts":[],"source_families":["SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","7(a) Fees Effective During Fiscal Year 2026","7(a) Loan Program Terms, Conditions, and Eligibility"],"official_sources":[{"title":"SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","url":"https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/SOP%2050%2010%208%20Technical%20Updates%20effective%206.1.2025.docx"},{"title":"7(a) Fees Effective During Fiscal Year 2026","url":"https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/Info%20Notice%20-%207%28a%29%20Fees%20FY%202026%20%28FINAL%208-28-25%29.pdf"},{"title":"7(a) Loan Program Terms, Conditions, and Eligibility","url":"https://www.sba.gov/partners/lenders/7a-loan-program/terms-conditions-eligibility"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Besides the interest rate, what upfront fees will I pay for a $1 million SBA 7(a) loan at closing?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/besides-the-interest-rate-what-upfront-fees-will-i-pay-for-a-1-million-sba-7-a-loan-at-clo"},{"question":"How are the ongoing servicing fees for an SBA 7(a) loan calculated and paid?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-are-the-ongoing-servicing-fees-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-calculated-and-paid"},{"question":"What are the typical interest rates for an SBA 7(a) loan, and are they fixed or variable?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-are-the-typical-interest-rates-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-and-are-they-fixed-or-variable"},{"question":"What is the \"SBA guaranty fee\" I pay on an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-sba-guaranty-fee-i-pay-on-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Are there any other lender-specific fees beyond the SBA guaranty fee and ongoing servicing fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-any-other-lender-specific-fees-beyond-the-sba-guaranty-fee-and-ongoing-servicing"},{"question":"Can the lender charge their own separate processing or origination fees for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-the-lender-charge-their-own-separate-processing-or-origination-fees-for-an-sba-7-a-loa"}],"related_terms":[{"term":"Direct Lender","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/direct-lender"},{"term":"Lender fees","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/lender-fees"},{"term":"Lender administrative fees","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/lender-administrative-fees"},{"term":"Lender Packaging Fees","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/lender-packaging-fees"},{"term":"Lender closing fees","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/lender-closing-fees"},{"term":"SBA lender","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-lender"}],"related_tools":[{"name":"SBA 7(a) payment & fee calculator","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/calculator"},{"name":"Find an active SBA 7(a) lender","url":"https://dealroom.so/lenders"}],"data_freshness":{"last_reviewed":"2026-06-13","sba_rule_sources_checked_through":"2026-06-13"},"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so SBA 7(a) Q&A","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-the-sba-itself-charge-any-direct-fees-to-the-borrower-or-just-the-lender","source_type":"DealRoom Q&A"},"caveats":["Grounded in the current SBA rulebook; verify against official sources before relying on it for a live deal.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice and not an approval decision."]}