Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations

Entrance counseling is required by federal regulations for all first-time borrowers at a school. It gives an overview of the Federal Loans Program and discusses specific topics related to types of loans, interest rates, borrower rights and responsibilities, etc. This counseling session can provide tips and tools for you to develop a budget for managing educational expenses. Loan Entrance Counseling documents can be accessed from the Documents & Forms page.

Exit counseling is federally mandated when you have stopped attending school or have dropped below half-time, regardless of whether you intend on returning. Student Loan Exit Counseling can be accessed from the Documents & Forms page.

Both Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Federal Loans are funded through the Federal Direct Loan program and administered by the federal government.

• Subsidized Loan - the federal government pays the interest on your Subsidized loan while you are enrolled at least half-time. Eligibility for Subsidized Loans is determined by financial need, are for a limited eligibility period, and are available to students seeking an undergraduate degree.
• Unsubsidized Loan - you are responsible for your Unsubsidized loan while enrolled in school. You have the option to pay the interest or defer the payment until after graduation. Eligibility for Unsubsidized loans is available to both undergraduate and graduate level students.
   

Yes. There are federally mandated aggregate limits that you cannot exceed, dependent on grade level and dependency status. For more information see Types of Aid.

No. While all grant funds are automatically accepted for you, you are able to accept a reduced amount of funds based on your discretion. Please note the following stipulations:

• The funds must be divided evenly over all of the packaged terms in an academic year.
• The minimum loan amount you can accept is $200.
• All subsidized funds must be accepted before accepting/reducing unsubsidized loans.

In order to reduce funds, you need to indicate the revised amount on your award letter or notate a full decline of a loan. Please contact a Financial Aid Counselor if you have any questions about reducing your loan amounts.