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The Small Business Administration announced Wednesday that fee relief on 7(a) loans of $150,000 or less and for SBA Veterans Advantage loans has been extended through Sept. 30, 2015.

"We zeroed out fees on loans of less than $150,000 to any 7(a) borrower because we don't want SBA fees to be an impediment to getting capital out to communities where it can make a game-changing difference, especially to our underserved communities, who use these small dollar loans more frequently," SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said in a statement. "We also owe a debt of gratitude and so much more to our service men and women, and veterans who are the cornerstone of small business ownership. This fee relief will continue to help veterans business owners who grow their businesses, create jobs in their communities, and put their training and passion for our country to work in their neighborhoods."

Last month, before a House Small Business Committee hearing, Contreras-Sweet said she is in talks with credit unions to encourage more small business lending – specifically micro-lending. She discussed the launch of a new business credit scoring model SBA is developing. "This new scoring model is now available to ALL of our lending partners for loans of $350,000 or less," she said in her testimony.

Contreras-Sweet also announced in September that the SBA is working with NAFCU and NCUA on ways to get more credit unions engaged in small-business lending. NAFCU is encouraging greater credit union involvement in SBA's 7(a) loan programs.