Loan Exit Counseling

Before you begin Federal Student Loan Exit Counseling it is helpful to have the following information available:

• Your driver’s license number
• The name, complete address/phone number of your future employer (if known)
• The name, complete address/phone number of two references, one of whom must be a relative
• Your Federal Loan History
• Know what federal loans you borrowed:
  • Direct Subsidized
  • Direct Unsubsidized
  • Direct Graduate PLUS
  • Direct Parent PLUS
• Know who is servicing your loans on behalf of the federal government. This information is found on studentaid.gov after you log in to your portal.

Your Loan History Report will list all federal loans you have borrowed and the servicer who is managing the loans for the Department of Education. To obtain your Federal Loan History you can log in to studentaid.gov using the following:

• FSA ID/Email/Mobile Phone*
• Password

       *Same as FAFSA login

Aggregate Loan Information Example

1. Sign in with your FSA ID to the U.S. Department of Education’s website at studentaid.gov. This is the only official website to complete the federal financial aid exit counseling requirement.
2. Under Checklist, select "I'm in Repayment."  Click Complete Loan Exit Counseling.
3. Follow the prompts and click on the “Start” button to begin the Loan Exit Counseling session.
4. A confirmation page will be emailed to you when you have completed the counseling session. Please keep this for your records. The Financial Aid office will receive an electronic confirmation as well.

*If you are unable to log in using the information above. Please use this direct link https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/  and log in using your FSA ID.

You may also use the Exit Counseling Guide for reference.

 A.  Grace Period

 Generally, the grace period (after graduating, before you begin repayment) is:

• 6 months for Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans
• 0 months for the Graduate PLUS Loan- repayment begins once the loan fully disbursed.  However, if you are enrolled at least half-time, you will be place in an in-school deferment, which continues for six months after you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment.
• 0 months for Consolidated loans

LMU does not know what grace periods (if any) you may have already used. Questions about your grace period should be directed to your loan servicer(s). Your servicer(s) are listed on your Federal Student Aid Dashboard.

B.  Repayment Options

There are many repayment options available. For your benefit we have briefly summarized the various types. To simulate your individual loan payments under the various options, go to studentaid.gov and use the loan simulator.

Notice:

Please be advised that traditional repayment options are impacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025. Beginning July 1, 2026, borrowers who receive new loans on or after this date will only be eligible for two plans: a revised Standard Repayment Plan or an Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

Traditional Repayment Options:

Repayment plan options for students who do not borrow a new Federal Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2026, may continue to access current repayment plan options listed below:

Standard

• If you do not choose another repayment option, you will automatically be entered into a standard repayment plan
• Fixed equal payments each month (includes principal and interest)
• Payment period cannot exceed 10 years (or up to 30 years for Consolidated Loans)
• Highest monthly payment, but lowest total interest paid over the life of the loan

Graduated

• Monthly payments start off low and increase over time, typically every two years
• Payment period cannot exceed 10 years (or up to 30 years for Consolidated Loans)
• Generally, well suited for those individuals expecting large salary increases at predictable points in time
• Total interest cost is higher than with the Standard repayment plan

Extended

• Monthly payments may be fixed or graduated
• Payment period may not exceed 25 years
• Makes required monthly payments lower (and you can pay more without penalty)
• Total interest cost is higher than with the Standard repayment plan
• To qualify for the plan, you must have more than $30,000 in outstanding Direct Loans or FFEL Program Loans

Income Driven Repayment Plan Options:

Income Contingent (ICR)

• Monthly payments are adjusted yearly, based on your monthly gross income, family size, and loan debt
• Payment period may not exceed 25 years
• Total interest cost is higher than with the Standard repayment plan
• The lesser of 20% of your discretionary income, or the amount you would pay on a repayment plan with a fixed payment over 12 years, adjusted according to your income

Income Based (IBR)

• Must have a partial financial hardship
• Monthly payments may be 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (income after necessary and basic living expenses have been met) and family size, depending on borrower status
• Only available as a payment option if the calculated payment is less than the standard repayment amount
• Payment period may not exceed 25 years depending on borrower status
• Any remaining balance after 25 years may be forgiven and is taxable

Pay As You Earn (PAYE)

• PAYE—Direct Loan Program only
• No delinquent or defaulted Direct or FFEL Loan (requirement details at studentloans.gov)
• Monthly payments are based on eligible federal student loan balance and are generally 10 percent of discretionary income but no more than what you would pay in the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan
• Payment period may not exceed 20 years depending on borrower status and level of study completing

*Important Notice: The law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) sunsets the PAYE and ICR plans effective July 1, 2028. Borrowers who enroll in PAYE or ICR must switch to any of the other eligible plans listed before July 1, 2028, or they will be automatically moved into RAP.

Students may also access the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) once it becomes available in July 2026.

Repayment plan options for students who borrow a new Federal Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2026, will be eligible for the following two repayment plan options:

Revised Standard Repayment Plan

• Fixed monthly payments
• Four fixed term options (5, 10 ,15, or 20 years), based on the amount borrowed

Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)

• Monthly payments are based on your income and family size, typically ranging from 1-10% of your adjusted gross income (AGI)
• Replaces most existing income-driven repayment (IDR) plans
• $10 minimum monthly payment
• Up to $50 may be deducted from your monthly payment for each dependent
• Repayment term of up to 30 years

*Information on these repayment plans is current as of March 2026 but may change as the Department of Education (ED) releases new guidance.

There may be extenuating circumstances when you have difficulty making your loan payments. We encourage you to contact your loan servicer(s) in this situation. They are best equipped to guide you in this process.

Deferments in general:

• No payments are made on the loans
• The federal government may pay the interest on Subsidized loans and Perkins loans, but interest accrues on Unsubsidized loans, Parent PLUS loans, and Graduate PLUS loans
• Involves an application process
• Has time limits based on the deferment type
• May apply based on borrower status (e.g., in-school, medical, economic hardship, unemployment, military service, and more)
  • Please note that deferment options may vary depending on when student loans were borrowed
• Please visit the Federal Student Aid website for deferment information and the application.

Forbearances in general:

• Forbearance for students who borrowed a Federal Direct Loan before July 1, 2027:
  • Temporarily postpones or reduces monthly payments for up to 12 months
  • Interest accrues on all loans
  • Are granted at the loan servicer’s discretion
    • May apply in cases of poor health or financial hardship
• Forbearance for students who borrow a new Federal Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2027:
  • Any loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2027, are eligible for up to nine months of forbearance in any two-year period

Consolidation allows you to combine all eligible federal loans into a single new loan with one monthly payment; a new interest rate will be calculated based on the weighted average of your loans. Please note, there is no interest rate cap on the weighted average interest rate for consolidation loans made after July 1, 2013. Please check with your loan servicer and review upcoming changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) before applying (scroll to "Loan Repayment changes due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on the following page). 

 Consolidation Terms to Consider:

• May be advisable if your loans are held by different servicers or you prefer your loans placed into one (1) monthly payment
• Payment periods may vary
• When you consolidate, you lose your “grace period” and your loans go into immediate repayment. Check with your loan servicer prior to consolidating.
• There is no application fee to consolidate your federal loans.
• For more information, please visit Federal Student Aid.

There are various loan forgiveness programs that are available for borrowers who meet certain criteria and circumstances. For more information, please visit the link below:

https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation

National Education Loan Network (Nelnet)

1.888.486.4722

https://nelnet.studentaid.gov/

Edfinancial

1.855.337.6884

https://edfinancial.studentaid.gov/

ECSI

1.866.313.3797

https://borrowerefpls.ed.gov/

Aidvantage

1.800.722.1300

https://aidvantage.studentaid.gov/

Default Resolution Group

1.800.621.3115

1.877.825.9923 (TTY for the death or hard of hearing)

https://myeddebt.ed.gov/ 

Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA)

1.888.866.4352

https://www.mohela.com/

CRI

1.833.355.4311

https://cri.studentaid.gov/welcome

For additional details on the following topics, please visit studentaid.gov.

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness information
• Repayment plan estimators
• Repayment plan information
• Student loan history

Exit Counseling Direct Link: https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/

Exit Counseling Guide

Equaljusticeworks.org

Freestudentloanadvice.org

•  Who is my loan servicer?
  • This information can be accessed online at studentaid.gov. Please log in using your FSA ID. Under the “My Loans” tab, click on “Servicer History.”
• Do loan payments pause/defer if I go to grad school?
  • • Yes, students who are enrolled in at least half-time enrollment may continue to have their loans deferred. Schools send students enrollment statuses to the loan servicers so that they may update their payment status.

• Do federal loans accrue interest while in deferment?
  • Yes, interest does accrue on Unsubsidized and PLUS loans.

• Is there a separate Exit Counseling requirement and loan servicer for Institutional Loans (i.e., LMU California Loan)?
  • Yes, for LMU California and Burns Loans, students must complete an Exit Interview with the Student Accounts' Loan Office. If you accepted an institutional loan, you will receive an email from them with further information and instructions on how to complete that requirement.

• How early and how late can I complete loan exit counseling?
  • You may complete Exit Loan Counseling as soon as your requirement is posted on your PROWL account. We strongly advise that you complete this as soon as possible to prevent any future holds or other issues on your student account. 

• What steps can a student take if they do not have a job secured after college and are concerned that they cannot pay their loans after the grace period has ended?
  • If you are concerned about making payments after your grace period is over, please contact your loan servicer so that they may provide other options.
• Will my loans be affected by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)?
  • Visit https://financialaid.lmu.edu/federalfinancialaidchanges/ for information about the effect of the OBBBA.