Loan Entrance Requirements
All new graduate borrowers are required to complete direct loans through the online process provided by the Federal Direct Loan Program.
A student should only complete entrance counseling when requested by the Office of Financial Aid as a part of the financial aid process. Loan Entrance Counseling must be completed prior to receiving the Federal Direct Stafford or Federal Direct PLUS Loans. Online entrance counseling can be completed at https://studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling/. You will find the entrance counseling module for graduate students underneath the undergraduate student module.
Loan Exit Requirements
The federal government requires all loan borrowers to complete the Loan Exit Counseling requirement as a recipient of the Federal Direct or Graduate PLUS loans, whether the loans were received through the Federal Family Education Loan Program or the Direct Loan Program. You must complete loan exit counseling when you withdraw from school, drop below half time (less than 6 credit hours), or graduate. Exit counseling provides important information regarding a borrower’s rights and responsibilities. The Exit Counseling module for graduate students can be found at https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/.
Please plan to complete the session in one sitting, allowing 30-40 minutes for completion. Information needed prior to completing the counseling includes:
- Your FSA ID (Please go to https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm to create one if you have not done so already. The FSA ID has since replaced the FAFSA Pin as the means of electronically accessing your financial aid information on the web.)
- Expected employer (if known)
- Next of kin (name, address, and phone number)
- Two references who live in the United States (names, addresses, and phone numbers)
- Driver’s license number (if available)
The Office of Financial Aid will receive automatic (electronic) notification concerning a completed exit counseling session.
If you have questions about the counseling, please contact Dr. TJ Snowden, Director of Financial Aid, at financialaid@iwp.edu or (202) 462-2101.