Graduation, Exit Counseling, and Loan Repayment
Repayment of student loans can be customized to your situation and current earnings.
A solid understanding of repayment plans, the hazards of default and how to resolve federal student loan disputes is critical to your future financial health.
Important Note: The information on this page pertains only to federal student loans. If you borrowed a private education loan from a bank or credit union, you’ll need to contact your lender to learn about repayment options and timelines.
In accordance with federal regulations, students who withdraw, drop below six credits, take a leave of absence, or graduate from Adelphi University must complete an exit counseling session if they have received a federal loan during their enrollment period. The exit counseling session(s) will provide you with your loan history, and will inform you of your repayment options. You’ll receive a communication from our office when it’s time to complete the exit counseling requirement. For students who return from a leave of absence and re-enroll at least half-time, loans will go back to an in-school deferment status. Please contact our One-Stop Student Services Center for more information.
Exit counseling can be completed online, in about 30 minutes, through StudentAid.gov.
Federal Direct Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans
- Go to Exit Counseling | Federal Student Aid to complete exit counseling. You will be able to review your federal loan history, find out who will service your loan and learn about deferment and repayment options
- New York State Residents: Find information on the NYS Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness repayment program available on the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website.
Federal Nursing Student Loans, Federal Perkins Loans or Federal Nurse Faculty Student Loans
- Go to heartland.ecsi.net to complete your exit counseling. You will be able to review your loan history and learn about deferment and repayment options.
- Click on “Manage Your Student Loan Account” under the “For Students & Borrowers” section.
- Once at the welcome page, enter your School Code of ‘5R’, Account Number (Social Security #), and PIN/Password.
- If you have any questions, you can contact Heartland ECSI at 1.888.549.3274.
After you graduate, leave school or drop below half-time enrollment, you are entitled to one grace period for Direct and Nursing loans. During this time—six months for Direct and nine months for Nursing—you’re not required to make payments.
Interest continues to accrue on most loans during the grace period. While you don’t have to pay the interest as it accrues, any unpaid interest is capitalized and added to the loan principal when repayment begins.
Repayment begins the day after your grace period ends. Your first payment is due within 60 days. You’ll receive communication from your servicer about repaying your loans, so pay attention to any mail or email you may receive from them.
Students can see their loans by signing into their account on the FSA website.
It’s important to know who is servicing your loans, as you will be working with them directly throughout repayment. A list of current federal student loan servicers is available through StudentAid.gov.
Repayment Plans
Federal student loans offer a variety of repayment options for students. While your servicer will automatically set your loan up on the standard repayment plan, you have the flexibility to discuss with them options to reduce your monthly payments (such as income-driven repayment plans).
Choose the federal student loan repayment plan that’s best for you.
Loan Consolidation
Loan consolidation combines multiple federal student loans, with various repayment schedules, into one loan with a single monthly payment. All federal student loans are eligible for consolidation, which can simplify the repayment process if you have more than one loan servicer. In some cases, it can also help you qualify for better repayment options. Just be sure to weigh the pros and cons.
Loan Forgiveness and Cancellations
Loan forgiveness programs promote careers in fields that are underserviced or meet particular community needs. Depending on your situation, all or a portion of your loans may be cancelled or forgiven through these programs.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Learn more an see whether you might qualify at studentaid.gov. - Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, if you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income school or educational service agency, and meet other qualifications, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $17,500 on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans. Learn more an see whether you might qualify at studentaid.gov. - Federal Perkins and/or Nurse Faculty Loan Cancellation
For any questions or requests regarding Federal Perkins and/or Nurse Faculty loan cancellations, please visit here.
Inability to Make Payments
If you think you will have trouble making your loan payments, be sure to contact your lender or servicer immediately. They can help you change your payment plan to one that better fits your budget, and they can discuss deferment or forbearance options that will allow you to postpone your payments. Ask for help before you fall behind.
- Deferment
Deferment is a temporary postponement of payment on a loan that is allowed under certain conditions and during which interest generally does not accrue on Direct Subsidized Loans, the subsidized portion of Direct Consolidation Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, the subsidized portion of FFEL Consolidation Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. All other federal student loans that are deferred will continue to accrue interest. Any unpaid interest that accrued during the deferment period may be added to the principal balance (capitalized) of the loan(s). More information can be found at studentaid.gov. - Forbearance
Forbearance is a period during which your monthly loan payments are temporarily suspended or reduced. Your lender may grant you a forbearance if you are willing but unable to make loan payments due to certain types of financial hardships. During forbearance, principal payments are postponed but interest continues to accrue. Unpaid interest that accrues during the forbearance will be added to the principal balance (capitalized) of your loan(s), increasing the total amount you owe. More information can be found at studentaid.gov. - Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group
If you’ve submitted a complaint regarding your loan(s) and believe the answer you received is wrong or incomplete, contact the Ombudsman Group as a last resort. The Ombudsman Group is a neutral, informal, and confidential resource to help resolve complaints related to the federal student aid programs, including Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, Perkins Loans, and grant programs.Contact the Ombudsman Group through one of these methods:
Postal Mail
U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman Group
P.O. Box 1854
Monticello, KY 42633
Phone: 1-800-433-3243Learn more about the Ombudsman Group here.