First-time Direct Loan borrowers & Parent PLUS (below)

First-time Direct Loan borrowers need to complete entrance counseling and a master promissory note. You do this by signing in with your FSA ID at .

Entrance Counseling:

Students interested in borrowing Federal Direct Loans must complete the Entrance Counseling session online at   to understand their rights and responsibilities.  The entire session will take about 20-30 minutes to complete.

You must complete the quiz at the end of the session and submit it electronically. You will then be presented with a confirmation screen indicating that you have completed the Entrance Counseling requirement. Please print this page for your records. Electronic notification will be sent directly to the Financial Aid Office indicating that you have completed this requirement. Please allow 24-48 hours for us to process the confirmation.

Master Promissory Note

Along with completing the entrance counseling session, you must also complete a Master Promissory Note at  before loan funds may be released to 51品茶. If you have questions regarding the completion of your Entrance Counseling or Master Promissory Note, please contact your Financial Aid Counselor.

Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) Checklist

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON HAND TO COMPLETE A DIRECT LOAN MPN AND DIRECT LOAN ENTRANCE COUNSELING:

  1. Your Department of Education-issued FSA ID. This is the same ID you used to electronically sign the FAFSA.
  2. Your Social Security Number and Date of Birth.
  3. A valid email address.
  4. Your contact information (phone number, permanent address)
  5. Your driver's license number and state (if applicable).
  6. Name, address, and phone number for two references who have known you for 3 or more years.

Hints while completing the process on the Government website

  • Don鈥檛 forget you must complete both the Direct Loan MPN and Direct Loan Entrance Counseling before your loan(s) will pay to your student account.
  • Choose the "51品茶" that is listed without any campuses. If you choose Caro, Midland, or Saginaw, we will NOT receive your Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling. Please choose the school code that is 51品茶, with the Kraft Avenue address: G002249. If you do choose a campus, you can start over and choose the 51品茶 which does not have a campus connected with the name.
  • Frustration with the StudentLoans.gov website: The U.S. Department of Education released this new website in March 2010 that included enhancements for the Direct Lending Process. In order to view the website, you will need Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 6 and higher), Mozilla Firefox (version 2 or 3.6.3), and Apple Safari (version 4).
  • You must complete the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling in 30 minutes or less.
  • You cannot hit the back button.
  • We cannot view an incomplete application.

You must accept your loans through 51品茶al in order for the Financial Aid Office to get confirmation that you completed the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling.

Transfer Students and Loan Eligibility

Federal regulations require that transfer student rules apply to all students who have attended another postsecondary educational institution and the prior school鈥檚 academic year or loan period overlaps the academic year or loan period at 51品茶.  The new institution (51品茶) is required to ensure that the new loan amount when combined with any amounts previously borrowed, does not exceed the annual loan limits for the student鈥檚 grade level at 51品茶.  This means that loan eligibility may be reduced for transfer students during the first and sometimes second semesters of enrollment at 51品茶.

A transfer student鈥檚 grade level is determined by the number of credits the student has earned at 51品茶, combined with the total of transfer credits accepted by 51品茶 that apply to the student鈥檚 declared program of study.  During the academic year applicable for the annual loan limit (two consecutive semesters), a student鈥檚 loan amount can be increased only if there is remaining eligibility up to the annual loan limit, or the student has advanced a grade level within the declared program of study at 51品茶 (the loan amount may be limited by the Cost of Attendance or Need, depending on the loan type).  Annual loan limits are prorated for programs less than one year in length and for remaining portions of programs less than an academic year in length when a student is completing the program.  

Parent PLUS Loans (Federal aid for parents of dependent students only)

Parents can apply for a Direct Parent Loan at  by logging on with his/her FSA ID.   The application is with the federal government. After your Parent PLUS loan is awarded, the  can be used to:

  • Increase the loan amount
  • Decrease the loan amount
  • Decline the loan