If you are graduating, there are steps you'll need to take regarding your financial aid.
What To Do—Complete Your Exit Counseling
Exit counseling through the Federal Student Aid website gives you important information you need to prepare to repay your federal student loan(s).
- To complete your exit counseling, sign in with your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
- You'll have the opportunity to select a repayment plan option through your specific loan provider.
- If you need to make a change in your repayment plan later, contact your loan servicer, which can be found on the Federal Student Aid website, along with more information.
Deferring Your Payments Due to Continuing Your Education
If you are continuing your education and would like to defer your payments, check the options for your loans.
If you plan on re-enrolling on at least a half-time basis, the institution you are attending can provide you with enrollment verification that you can provide to your loan servicer.
If you are re-enrolling at IUP after graduation, the Registrar's website has instructions on obtaining enrollment verification information.
Understanding Loan Forgiveness Possibilities
Teachers, nurses, and others in public service might be eligible for loan forgiveness after years of service in some situations.
Some helpful sites:
- Student Loan Forgiveness Overview
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers
- Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Loan Forgiveness Programs for Nurses
Watch Out for Scams
Be careful. There are businesses that try to scam students who have student loans by charging you for services you can pretty easily do on your own for free—such as selecting a repayment option to lower your payments. Also, be suspicious of any company that claims they can eliminate your debt for a fee.
Go to the Source for Reliable Information
A reliable source for information on real ways to lower your federal loan payments, select the right payment option for you, get out of default, apply for loan forgiveness, and more is the Federal Student Aid website.
Other Helpful Resources for Graduating Students:
