Before making a financial commitment, like taking out (borrowing) a student loan, learn more
Please borrow wisely as this is funding you must repayplete Direct Loan Program details, including an overview, tools and resources and managing repayment are available online at .
Financial Literacy: Researchers have discovered that financial literacy education, learning and using skills for money management increases the likelihood of students graduating from a college or university and graduating with less credit card and student loan debt, sounds important right? We think so.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans
You must at least meet the financial aid quarter deadline you are requesting a loan for in order for your loan request to be processed. However, you can still request a loan for a prior quarter if you have met a deadline for a future quarter (e.g. if you met spring quarter deadline, you can request a loan for fall and winter quarter). A retroactive loan request will not be processed until the quarter deadline you have met.
- Complete FAFSA (must be completed every year)
- Submit all requested documents by the Financial Aid Office
- Complete Loan Entrance Counseling
- Complete Master Promissory Note (MPN)
- Submit Loan Request Form to the Financial Aid Office (must be completed every year)
Students who receive subsidized or unsubsidized Direct Loans will have their loan information reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This data is available to guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions who are authorized users of the system. Students can view their loan borrowing/reported history at this site specifically for students: nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/
If you have received a Direct Loan to help finance your education at Highline College, the Federal financial aid regulations require us to provide you with exit counseling information about your loan.
The Exit Counseling is located on the Federal Student Aid Website. Once you enter the site, sign into your account and click on Complete Counseling see the site on the left side of the page.
You will need to use the FSA User ID you received when you applied for financial aid to complete the exit counseling. If you have misplaced it, you can request a duplicate on this site.
- Total Direct Loans you have borrowed and your payment schedule
- Payment optionsestimated monthly payments, payment days
- Transferring to another school
- Information about other student loans you borrowed
We recommend that you print the pages as you go so you can refer to them during the short quiz you will take at the end of the exit interview. You must successfully pass the quiz in order to be given credit for completing the exit interview. We will receive a list of those borrowers who successfully complete the exit interview.
This information will assist you in the future as you make decisions about student loan repayment planning or what should I do about my student loans if I am currently unemployed. We encourage you to empower yourself with this information!
At any time after graduation you experience problems with your student loan that you are unable to resolve with your servicer, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsperson for assistance. Their contact information is:
Loan Adjustments
The amount of loan eligibility cannot exceed your budgeted Cost of Attendance minus all other financial assistance you are anticipated to receive. You will receive an updated award notice indicating your loan eligibility after we process your loan request form.
Private/alternative student loans provide an additional or alternative source of funding but these loans can have a much higher interest rate than Federal Direct Student Loans. Please consider exhausting all federal loan options before borrowing a private/alternative student loan. Selecting a lender is an important decision as you will be working with your loan provider for the life of the loan. Take the time to compare private loans before you apply.
The Financial Aid Office determines the maximum amount you may borrow for your attendance at Highline College. The college will notify your lender with a process called certification’. Your costs will be determined by adding up the expenses related to college attendance, then subtracting any financial aid (grants, scholarships, veteran’s benefits, agency funds, Direct Loan funds, or other assistance) you have to help pay for college. The difference is the amount you can borrow in a private loan. For example:
Satisfactory Academic Progress To be eligible for a private loan you must satisfactorily complete credits of enrollment, maintain a 2.00 GPA, and make timely progress towards a degree. The borrower must also be enrolled at least half-time to receive a private loan. For more information see the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for more information. Satisfactory Academic Progress
Highline College does not recommend lenders or use preferred lender lists. Choose your lender and complete their private student loan application process.