Loan Counseling
A. Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes
First time borrowers must complete an entrance counseling session as well as sign a master promissory note for any loans that they choose to accept. The entrance counseling sessions can be completed online and usually only needs to be done once. Most promissory notes will also only need to be completed once. Both requirements must be completed before the loan can be disbursed. The Financial Aid Office will receive electronic confirmation within 24-48 hours of the completion of the loan requirements. Please see below for the corresponding online locations of each loan requirement.
| Type of Loan | Online Location of Entrance Counseling & Master Promissory Note | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loans | https://studentloans.gov/ | First time UH Hilo borrowers must complete the entrance counseling even though they may have completed it while at another school. |
| Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans | https://studentloans.gov/ | Graduate students who borrow a Grad PLUS in addition to an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan will need to complete separate Master Promissory Notes for each loan; the Entrance Counseling will be combined into one session. |
| State Higher Education Loan (SHEL) | Entrance Counseling Master Promissory Note |
The SHEL Master Promissory Note needs to be completed every year that the loan is accepted. |
B. Exit Counseling
When a student graduates or withdraws from UH Hilo, the student must complete an exit counseling session. This exit counseling must also be completed if the student simply stops attending or their enrollment falls below half-time status. The counseling session can be completed online. Please see below for the online locations of the exit counseling sessions for each loan type.
| Type of Loan | Location of Loan Exit Counseling |
|---|---|
| Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loans | https://nslds.ed.gov/ |
| Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans | https://nslds.ed.gov/ |
Important Notes
Students who are exited will receive a packet containing important loan information, some of which needs to be completed and returned to the Financial Aid Office.