Loan Requirements
Learn your loan rights, requirements, and responsibilities.
The information on this page is for the Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) programs, as well as institutional loans. If you borrowed alternative (private) student loans, please contact your lender for their loan requirements.
Federal Loans
Before receiving your first Federal Direct Loan at CU Anschutz, the U.S. Department of Education requires that you complete the online Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN).
Entrance Counseling
The counseling covers your rights and responsibilities, interest rates, repayment options, and the consequences of default or not repaying your loan.
Complete the online Entrance Counseling (be sure to select the University of Colorado Denver school code 004508 as your college). Use your FSA ID to log in and complete it. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete the counseling session.
- If you are completing entrance counseling as an undergraduate student, the counseling will fulfill counseling requirements for the Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans.
- If you are completing entrance counseling as a graduate/professional student, the counseling will fulfill counseling requirements for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan and Graduate PLUS Loan.
Plus Credit Counseling
Special loan counseling is required for any PLUS Loan applicant who has an adverse credit history, but who qualifies for a PLUS Loan through the process for reconsideration due to extenuating circumstances or by obtaining an endorser for the loan. While the counseling is mandatory only for these borrowers, the U.S. Department of Education will offer voluntary counseling for all PLUS Loan borrowers. [see U.S. Dept. of Ed. regulation CFR 685.304(a)(2)]
Master Promissory Note (MPN)
The MPN is your promise to repay the loan and contains the terms and conditions of the loan, as well as repayment information. The MPN is a legal document. Retain a copy of it for your records.
Complete the online MPN at the Federal Student Aid site after completing your entrance counseling, or you can return later to complete it by logging in with your FSA ID.
- Undergraduate student: complete the MPN for Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans.
- Graduate/professional student: complete the MPN for Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans and the MPN for Graduate/Professional Students.
Exit Counseling
Exit counseling provides important information that you'll need to prepare for repaying your federal student loan(s).
If you have received a subsidized, unsubsidized or PLUS loan under the Direct Loan or the FFEL* Program, you must complete exit counseling when you:
- Drop below half-time enrollment
- Graduate
- Leave school
(*The FFEL Program ended June 30, 2010 and no new loans have been made under the FFEL Program after that date.)
At the end of the exit counseling session, you will be asked for information that will be included as part of your loan records.
Names, addresses, e-mail addresses and phone numbers for:
- Your next of kin
- Two references who live in the U.S.
- Your future employer (if known)
To complete the exit counseling, you will need:
- Approximately 30 minutes to complete it.
- Your FSA ID. If you are a new user or have forgotten or misplaced your FSA ID, get your questions answered. Students must log in using their own FSA ID to complete Exit Counseling. Using another person's FSA ID constitutes fraud. Use only your own FSA ID.
- Name(s) of the school(s) you wish to notify of counseling completion
Useful information to help complete the counseling:
- Any details on your income, financial aid, and living expenses. Some of this information can be found in:
- Your student loan account on your Servicer's web site.
Complete Exit Counseling
Log in to Federal Student Aid site using your FSA ID and follow the instructions carefully.
Institutional Loans
Entrance Counseling
If you borrowed an institutional loan as part of your award package, you must complete the Entrance Counseling, Promissory Note and any other required documentation for that loan to pay. Watch your To Do List in Student Center of UCDAccess for the loan requirement instructions.
Exit Counseling
You must complete exit counseling when you:
- Drop below half-time enrollment
- Graduate
- Leave school
Watch your To Do List in Student Center of UCDAccess for the exit requirement instructions.
If you have any questions while completing the institutional loan requirements, please contact the loan servicer, ECSI. If you are unable to reach ECSI or cannot resolve the issue, please contact Student Debt Management for assistance.