Beyond UIW/Exit Counseling

Congratulations! This is an exciting time for you! It's also a time when it's easy to forget about loan repayment amidst the excitement. Below are some helpful tips for successful loan repayment.

1. Exit Counseling - Know what/who you owe!

   After graduation, students who borrowed loans should complete Exit Counseling at Studentaid.gov. You can also check your federal loan totals at any time at Studentaid.gov. You will need your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID in order to log into either website. Create or retrieve your FSA ID at Studentaid.gov.

   Exit Counseling is important to get you started on the right track - know how much you owe, who you need to pay, and when those payments begin, as well as options for deferment or forbearance if you are having trouble making payments.

   The Office of Financial Assistance will continue to support you after graduation - call us any time for loan advice, help with federal loan consolidation or to talk about repayment options!

   You can also get free one-on-one loan counseling with ECMC Solutions. Sign up for your free ECMC Learning account.

2. Budgeting - Determine how much you can afford to pay.
   ECMC offers free budgeting calculators - it's important to be realistic about your monthly bills and plan for your required loan payments.
3. Loan Estimates - Understand your monthly requirements, and choose the right loan repayment plan for you.
   Want to estimate your monthly loan payments? Check out loan repayment estimators at Studentaid.gov and FinAid.org to see how much you may pay per month on various repayment plan options.
4. Keep in Touch!
   Any time you change your address, phone number, or email, it's important to let UIW, as well as your loan servicer, know. We can't help you if we can't get in touch with you!
5. Trouble Making Payments?
   Contact UIW about loans or your loan servicer for options! ECMC Learning has loan experts available and it's free to UIW students.

Withdrawing or dropping courses can have a big impact on your current and/or future aid.

Withdrawals

You should always contact the Office of Financial Assistance before you withdraw to find out what kind of financial impact this will have on your aid. When you withdraw from a semester (or a mini-term), the Dept. of Education requires that we calculate how much of the time you were scheduled to attend (i.e. registered) versus the time you actually attended. This results in a percentage that may require us to return part of your aid. This is required even if you completed a previous mini-term in the same semester AND even if you receive a 100% refund of tuition/fees. Withdrawals also cause a reduction in your cumulative completion percentage, since they are hours attempted that you have not earned. This can cause you to lose eligibility for future aid (pending an appeal) due to the federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.

Drops

Dropping coursework affects your cumulative completion percentage; that is, the percentage of hours you have earned versus those you have attempted. We are required to use a cumulative percentage, including any coursework attempted/earned at any previous college/university. Dropping can cause you to lose eligibility for current or future aid due to renewal requirements for specific aid funds, or the federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirement. If you are already on SAP probation, you may lose all future eligibility for aid, unless you submit a new appeal and it is approved.

Any time you withdraw or drop below half-time enrollment, we are required to report the change in enrollment to your student loan servicers. This may trigger you to go into your grace period (typically 6 months) and subsequently into repayment on your student loans.

What happens after you withdraw?

The Office of Financial Assistance can help you at any time, even if you've already left UIW! Appointments are not required but are encouraged. Contact us for help!

1. Find out who your student loan servicer(s) is/are and how much you owe: Studentaid.gov
2. Complete Loan Exit Counseling: Studentaid.gov
3. Contact your loan servicer(s) and request a repayment plan that works for you. Not sure which plan to pick? Contact us for help!
4. Once you re-enroll at least half-time (at any school), make sure that you contact your loan servicer(s) to notify them and put your loans back into an in-school deferment.

Need advice outside of normal business hours? ECMC Learning has loan experts available 24/7 and it's free to UIW students!

When you transfer to a different school, your aid does not automatically transfer over to the new school - you must take steps to transfer your FAFSA as well as notify your loan servicers of your new enrollment.

1. If you are transferring mid-year, add your new school to your FAFSA. Keep in mind that not all aid will transfer - you will need to speak to your new school about the aid you will be eligible for with them. If you're going to begin in the summer, be sure to contact the school to find out which year's FAFSA covers their summer sessions.
2. Find out who your student loan servicer(s) is/are and how much you owe: Studentaid.gov
3. Complete Loan Exit Counseling for UIW: Studentaid.gov
4. Once you re-enroll at least half-time, make sure that you contact your loan servicer(s) to notify them and put your loans back into an in-school deferment.

The Office of Financial Assistance is happy to help you at any time, even if you've already left UIW!

Exit counseling is required for all students who have student loans and/or Federal TEACH grants (from UIW or other schools) who graduate, withdraw from school, or drop below half-time.

TEACH Grants

TEACH Grant Exit Counseling can be completed at Studentaid.gov. Log in using your FSA ID (create one at Studentaid.gov if you do not already have one). Click on "Start" and then follow the prompts. Once completed, we will receive your exit results electronically.

It is important that you complete the exit counseling, and also that you keep both UIW and your TEACH Grant servicer updated at all times on your contact information. You will also report your teaching service at least annually to your grant servicer in order to keep your grant from being converted to a Direct Unsubsidized loan. Once the conversion occurs, it is not possible to convert it back to a grant.

Student Loans

You may view the Dept. of Education's Exit Counseling guide here: Exit Counseling Guide.

To complete Direct Loan Exit Counseling online, go to Studentaid.gov, and log in using your FSA ID. You will need to create a new FSA ID if you have not created one previously. Create or retrieve your FSA ID at Studentaid.gov.

Once you are logged in, click on “Manage Loans” and then choose “Complete Exit Counseling".

Make sure you list University of the Incarnate Word as one of the schools who should receive your results. We will not require a copy of the confirmation unless we do not receive your electronic confirmation. You should keep a copy of the confirmation for your own records.

You will be able to receive a full summary of your Federal loans during the counseling session. If you have had alternative (private) loans also, they will not be listed and you will need to contact your lender directly in order to receive a loan summary from them.

If you know your private loan information, you will be given the opportunity to add these amounts during the counseling session to get an estimate of the total monthly payments for all of your student loans.

If you have any trouble locating your lender(s), completing your Exit Counseling, or have questions regarding managing your debt, repayment, consolidation, etc., please contact our office at (210) 829-6008 or finaid@uiwtx.edu.

Once a student graduates, transfers, withdraws or drops below half-time status, they will have a grace period of 6 months and 1 day before they enter repayment on their direct student loans that they borrowed at UIW. It is important you understand when your grace period starts and ends, as well as when repayment begins.

Most importantly, knowing what you owe and the different repayment options available to you will help you make the best decision possible when setting up your repayment plan with your lender(s). Below are some available resources, that will aid you in this process:

Know What You Owe!

1. Direct Federal Student Loans
   Students can view Federal Direct loan and Pell grant balances at any time, as well as retrieve their student loan data file through Studentaid.gov. Please note, you will need your FSA ID credentials to login. A Repayment Estimator is available to students online as well and can be used to view repayment options for your student loans.
2. State Loans (THECB B-on-Time and College Access Loans)
   Access Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Student Loans to view your balances and payment information for the B-on-Time Loan, or the College Access Loan. The B-on-Time Loan must be repaid if you do not qualify for loan forgiveness. These loans are owned and managed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Contact THECB via their website or 800-242-3062.
3. Non-federal loans
   Annual CreditReport.com is a free website you can use to obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus every 12 months. You will find any private loans you’ve borrowed on your credit report, regardless of who you borrowed them from or what school you borrowed them at. You should review your credit report periodically to ensure your information is correct.
4. ECMC Learning is a nonprofit corporation that has teamed up with UIW to assist you with your federal student loans! When you graduate from UIW, you can contact ECMC at 1-844-HELPFUL, and they will assist you in reviewing and setting up your loan repayment options.

If you're having trouble making your student loan payments, it's important to understand your options.

Don't be afraid to reach out - the Office of Financial Assistance is here to help, no matter how long it's been since you graduated!

Don't ignore the problem!

Failing to make payments on your loans can result in big problems for your credit rating, and even your ability to get certain jobs. Don't let this happen to you - there are ways to manage repayment, as long as you reach out to your servicer or someone else who can assist you.

Change your repayment plan

You are allowed to change your repayment plan at least once a year - simply contact your servicer to go over options and payment estimates. There are even repayment plans that take into consideration the amount of money you make and how many people are in your household, which are called "income-driven repayment plans." For more details on income-driven repayment options, see the Federal Student Aid Repayment site.

Apply for a deferment or a forbearance

If changing your repayment plan doesn't work for you, you may be eligible for a deferment or a forbearance. Keep in mind that deferments or forbearances have a limited amount of time that you can use them, and they do not make loans go away - they simply postpone your payments, while the loans typically continue to gather interest. Use a deferment or forbearance as a last resort.

Look into loan forgiveness programs

Are you working in public education, public health, non-profit, or emergency management? You may qualify for loan forgiveness! Research federal loan forgiveness programs at the Federal Student Aid site.

Contact UIW about loan payments or your loan servicer for options!

ECMC Learning is a free “Financial Wellness” tool that is available to all current UIW students via Cardinal Apps. Browse through an extensive library of financial wellness courses, tools and personalized financial goals created specifically for your needs. You will be able to create a “financial” checklist and track your progress as you master assigned courses and exercises personalized for you! Be sure to log into your ECMC Learning portal every week for updated articles and featured topic that influences financial behaviors.

You've adjusted to life IN college, now it's time to adjust to life AFTER college! You will no longer have financial aid disbursements to assist with living expenses, and you will need to get used to budgeting wisely, repaying your loans and setting/meeting financial goals.

Average Salary Ranges

Get a realistic idea of what your chosen occupation will pay. Sources for salary information might be family or friends who work in the industry, college alumni with jobs in similar organizations, UIW's Career Services office, ranges posted in Help Wanted ads, or salary surveys conducted by professional organizations. Once you have an estimated pay range, you can use websites such as Paycheck City to calculate what your take-home pay might be after taxes, based on your filing status and your state.

Create a Spending Plan

1. Track your expenses for a full month.
2. Put your expenses into categories such as rent/mortgage, utilities, food, gas, entertainment, dining out, savings and credit/loan payments. Make notes on which expenses are fixed (such as rent), and which are variable (such as food/gas).
3. Add up your total monthly income. If your pay fluctuates each month, calculate a reasonable average.
4. Compare your monthly expenses to your monthly income.
5. Make adjustments to your monthly expenses if they exceed your monthly income. Are there areas such as entertainment or dining out where you can reduce your spending? If your monthly income exceeds your expenses, consider putting money into savings for emergencies or paying off debt such as credit cards or student loans.
6. Monitor your budget monthly to be sure you are meeting your current financial goals and consistently putting money into savings for emergencies.
7. Need help with budgeting? ECMC Learning has budget calculators and spending plans to help you get (and stay!) on track.

Most financial advisors will tell you that putting money into savings is one of the most important things you can do to secure your financial future. Reducing your debt will be hard to do in the long term if you are not putting money away into savings to account for life's unexpected events. Try to keep at least $1000 available in savings at all times for those little emergencies, so that you are not forced to increase credit card debt. Make it part of your monthly spending plan to put a specific amount in your savings from every paycheck.