Loan Counseling

Entrance Counseling and MPN

Federal Direct Loans

Before receiving your first Federal Direct Loan at CU Denver, the US Department of Education requires that you complete the online Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN). The Loan Entrance Counseling covers your rights and responsibilities, interest rates, repayment options, and the consequences of default or not repaying your loan. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which you promise to repay your federal student loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to your lender or loan holder. There is one MPN for Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans and a different MPN for Direct PLUS Loans.

To meet the Federal Direct Loan requirements:

1.  Complete the online Entrance Counseling and MPN at StudentAid.gov (be sure to select University of Colorado Denver, school code 004508, as your college)

• If you're completing entrance counseling to borrow a loan as an undergraduate student, then the entrance counseling will fulfill counseling requirements for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
• If you're completing entrance counseling to borrow as a graduate student, the entrance counseling will fulfill counseling requirement for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans

2.  You'll need an FSA ID to log in and complete the loan requirements. It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete

3.  Retain a copy of your MPN for your records

PLUS Credit Counseling

PLUS Credit Counseling is required if the US Department of Education has informed you of your adverse credit history and you have:

• Obtained an endorser
• Documented extenuating circumstances to the satisfaction of the US Department of Education (see US Dept. of Ed. regulation CFR 685.304(a)(2))

PLUS Credit Counseling can be completed voluntarily at any time. If PLUS Credit Counseling is completed voluntarily and you are determined to have an adverse credit history by the U.S. Department of Education within 30 days of PLUS Credit Counseling completion, your PLUS Credit Counseling requirement will be considered to be fulfilled.

Exit Counseling

Exit counseling provides important information to prepare you to repay your federal student loans.

If you have received a subsidized, unsubsidized, or PLUS loan under the Federal Direct Loan or the FFEL* Loan Program, you must complete exit counseling each time you:

• Drop below half-time enrollment
• Graduate
• Leave School

Note: The FFEL Program ended June 30, 2010 and no new loans have been made under the FFEL Program after that date.

At the end of the exit counseling session, you will be asked for information that will be included as part of your loan records. You must provide the following:

Names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers for:

• Your next of kin
• Two references who live in the US
• Your future employer (if known)

To complete exit counseling, you will need:

• Approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
• Your FSA ID. If you're a new user, or have forgotten your FSA ID, check here. Students must log in using their own FSA ID to complete Exit Counseling. Use of another person's FSA ID constitutes fraud. Use only your own FSA ID information.
• Names of the schools you wish to notify of counseling completion

Useful Information to Help Complete the Exit Counseling:

• Any details on your income, financial aid, and living expenses. Some of this information can be found in your student account information
• Details on your future income, financial aid, and living expenses if known

Completing Exit Counseling

Log in to StudentAid.gov using your FSA ID and follow the instructions carefully.