Current student borrowers and future student borrowers should visit https://studentaid.gov/ for more information in regards to understanding student loans, repaying your loans, and handling default issues.
If you are reported for non-attendance in a class, you need to turn into financial aid proof of attendance from your instructor or your loan will be canceled.
Reminder…. if a student withdraws or drops below half-time, all other disbursements are canceled and they must complete exit counseling at https://studentaid.gov/ – Exit Counseling
Dates are subject to change in accordance with registration dates. Only one loan request will be processed per semester.
The Official FY2019 Cohort Default Rate for Howard County Junior College District is 3.5%.
It is the student’s responsibility to apply for a student loan. Howard College does not apply for you. Submit a loan request using Direct Loans. The Federal Government will be your lender. Only 1 loan request will be processed per semester.
As an eligible borrower, I understand I may still be eligible for state of Texas grant assistance. I understand I may contact financial aid about grant assistance if the student is a borrower from another state.
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Log on: https://studentaid.gov
- Loan Award Information: Before you begin you will need to have the following information:
- Social Security Number.
- First two (2) characters of your last name.
- Date of Birth: (mm/dd/yyyy).
- FSA ID USERNAME and Password. The FSA ID is the same log in as your FAFSA.
- Complete Entrance Counseling: Under the tab “Complete Aid Process”, add Howard County Junior College. You will be required to take a quiz.
- Complete Informed Borrower Tool Confirmation – under tab “Complete Aid Process” at studentaid.gov
- If you Received A Direct Loan from Howard College for the prior aid year – STOP: You do not need to complete a New MPN. Skip to #8.
- New Students: Complete Master Promissory Note: click on “Subsidized/Unsubsidized or Plus Loan for Parent Borrowers” – Be sure to Add Howard College.
- Complete Four Steps:
- Personal Information
- Personal References
- Terms and Conditions (read all four parts)
- Review and Sign
- Congratulations! You have complete the MPN Process – One More Step
- Important: You must complete your loan request by submitting a Loan Award Acceptance Form to the Financial Aid office. The form is available for download here on the Howard College website, or from the Financial Aid Office.
Please Understand, first-time borrowers ($0 loan balance on NSLDS) who have never attended Howard College/or any other institution are subject to 30-day delay for loan disbursements. Dual credit is considered first time in college.
Important: Only one loan request will be processed per semester.
A promissory note is a legally binding contract between the borrower of a Direct Loan, and the lender – the U.S. Department of Education. It contains the terms and conditions of the loan and explains how and when it should be repaid. Before you receive your loan funds, you must sign a promissory note electronically using your PIN#.
Repayment of Loans: It is important to make sure you do not miss a payment on your student loans. It is important to contact your loan servicer about different repayment options. Your loan servicer handles all billing regarding your student loans.
For more information about the repayment of student loans,
visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans
FOR HELP CONTACT:Direct Loan Borrowers |
Loan Release Information
Summer 2023
- Loan funds will be applied to the students account on 05/30/2023, any remaining loan funds will be refunded to students within 14 days after direct loan approval.
- Summer semester 30-day delay loan funds will be applied to the student’s account 30 calendar days after classes begin. Summer loans are split into two disbursements. The second disbursement will be applied to the student’s accounts on 07/10/2023.
Fall 2023
- Loan funds will be applied to the student’s account on 09/19/2023, any remaining loan funds will be refunded to students on 10/02/2023, or within 14 days after direct loan approval.
- Fall semester 30-day delay loan funds will be applied to the student’s account on 09/21/2023, or 30 calendar days after classes begin. Any remaining loan funds will be refunded to students on 10/02/2023, or within 14 days after direct loan approval.
Spring 2024
- Loan funds will be applied to the student’s account on 02/13/2024, any remaining loan funds will be refunded to students on 02/26/2024, or within 14 days after direct loan approval.
- Spring semester 30-day delay loan funds will be applied to the student’s account on 02/15/2024, or 30 calendar days after classes begin. Any remaining loan funds will be refunded to students on 02/26/2024, or within 14 days after direct loan approval.
Private Education Loans – Howard College does not have any preferred lender relationships. No lender may be authorized to use the name, emblem, mascot, logo or other institutional identifier of Howard College for any marketing of private education loans.
- Private Education Loan Disclosures (Including Self-Certification Form) Private Education Loan Self-Certification Form.
Upon request from the prospective student loan borrower, the financial aid office personnel will provide in written or electronic format the self-certification form for private education loans.
If the prospective student loan borrower meets all processing requirements, upon credit approval from the prospective private credit lender, the financial aid office personnel responsible for processing the private credit loan will disclose and disseminate the “Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification” form to the borrower for their consideration.
- Code of Conduct for Education Loans
Howard College participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, which includes Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized student loans. In some cases, private student loans are needed to supplement the cost of education. Howard College encourages students to exhaust all other methods of financing their education before applying for private loans. To comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Howard College adopts the following Student Loan Code of Conduct. It serves as the formal guiding principles in ensuring the integrity of the student aid process and ethical conduct by employees concerning student loan practices.
Howard College will not enter into any type of revenue-sharing arrangement with any lender, guarantor or servicer. Howard College does not provide students a preferred lender list from which to select a lender for a private student loan. All loans are processed without regard to lender or mode of transmission. Howard College will neither recommend a private loan lender nor accept material benefits including revenue or profit sharing to the institution, an officer or an employee of the institution or agent.
Employees of the Howard College Financial Aid Office are prohibited from soliciting or accepting any gift from a lender, guarantor or servicer of education loans. This includes a gift of services, transportation, lodging or meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred.
Employees of the Howard College Financial Aid Office shall not accept from any lender or its affiliate any fee, payment or other financial benefit as compensation for any consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
Howard College will not assign a borrower’s private student loan to a particular lender. All decisions will be made by the borrower in his/her independent review of borrower benefits and lender services. Howard College will not refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guarantee agency.
Howard College will not request or accept from any lender, guarantor or servicer of student loans any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.
At this time, no Howard College employee or agent serves on the advisory board, commission or group established by a lender or guarantor. If, in the future, a member of Howard College agrees to serve on such a board or like group, the employee, agent or officer will not accept anything of value from the lender, guarantor or group, except that the employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee for serving on the advisory board, commission or group.
Violations of this code will be handled in accordance with Howard College policies and procedures, which may include disciplinary actions up to and including termination of employment by the institution.
- Preferred Lender Arrangements/Preferred Lender Lists
Howard College does not retain a preferred lender list for private student loans, nor does it keep any other lists of lenders. We encourage students to pursue federal and state financial aid as their primary source of funding before seeking out private student loans.
Direct Loan Fees for FY 21 and FY 22
| Loan Type | First Disbursed | Loan Fee Percent | Fee Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans | FY 21 On or after October 1, 2021 and before October 1, 2022 | 1.057 % | $58.13 on a $5,500 loan |
| FY 22 On or after October 1, 2022 and before October 1, 2023 | 1.057 % | $58.13 on a $5,500 loan | |
| Direct PLUS Loans (Parent and Grad/Prof Student) | FY 21 On or after October 1, 2021 and before October 1, 2022 | 4.228 % | $422.80 on a $10,000 loan |
| FY 22 On or after October 1, 2022 and before October 1, 2023 | 4.228 % | $422.80 on a $10,000 loan |