Entrance Loan Counseling

https://www.dlssonline.com/borrower/BorrowerWelcomePage.jsp

Why are you doing an Entrance Counseling?

Students who will be borrowing a federal William D. Ford Direct Loan for the first time at UC Berkeley must complete an Entrance Loan Counseling prior to loan disbursement.  This requirement is mandated by a federal regulation.

The Entrance Counseling gives us and the Department of Education (i.e., the lender) the opportunity to inform you of your rights and responsibilities as a recipient of a federal student loan.   Likewise, it gives you the chance to make sure you understand the terms and conditions of the loan and to seek answers to any questions you might have before incurring a debt.   So, even though it's a federal requirement, we think it's also a good idea.

As you go through the loan process, it’s a good idea to create a loan file for your personal record keeping.   Place a copy of the completed Entrance form in your file along with copies of your promissory notes and other loan information.   Use this file to store all future materials, documents and correspondences related to your federal student loans.

How do I do an Entrance Counseling?

Option 1 Online:
Entrance Counseling is conducted online by the federal Department of Education (see link above). Once there, click on the "Entrance Counseling for Borrowers" heading and follow the instructions. Be sure to choose " UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (THE) -- BE, 200 CALIFORNIA HALL, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA" as the School Association. After you have completed the on-line tutorial, click on the "Save and Acknowledge" button and the results will be electronically transmitted to our Financial Aid Office.

Option 2 In-Person:
In-Person with one of our loan consultants. Please contact us at 510-642-3190 to request in-person service. Please note that a form must be completed, so counseling is not available over the telephone.

Then What?

The Department of Education will notify the UCB Financial Aid Office that the Entrance requirement is satisfied.

Your loan will be disbursed to your CARS account when:

Once the loan is disbursed to CARS, the funds will be used to pay any eligible charges on your account.   If funds are left over, a refund will be issued. See CARS refund section for more information.

Answers to "Important Things You Should Find Out" from the Entrance web site:

What is the average indebtedness and average monthly payment amount for all students who have borrowed Direct Loans?

The 1998-99 average indebtedness for students graduating from UC Berkeley was $14860, which includes PLUS Loans.  The average monthly payment amount was $170.45

Where can I find a copy of my school's refund and repayment policies?

See the Office of the Registrar's web site at: http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Registration/canwd.html

Where should I report address and name changes to update my official records at my school?

Address changes are made through Bear Facts at: http://bearfacts.berkeley.edu

Name changes are made through the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall.
For policies and a Name Change Petition form see their web site at: http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Records/namechng.html

What is the telephone number of my school's financial aid office?

You can contact the Financial Aid Office at:

Undergrads: (510) 642-6442 e-mail: fao_ug@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Graduate Students: (510) 642-0485 e-mail: fao_grad@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Bear Facts:http://bearfacts.berkeley.edu

How and when will my school make Direct Loan disbursements to me?

See the "Then What?" section listed above.

Special note about aid disbursements at the beginning of the semester: Loans will be credited to your CARS account as soon as all disbursement criteria are satisfied.   Financial Aid transactions to CARS are processed for upcoming semesters beginning in June for the fall semester and in November for the spring semester.   Any refunds from these disbursements will be issued the first week of classes.

What is the address and toll-free telephone number to the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan Servicing Center location that services my loan account?

For payments information and general inquiries:

1-800-848-0979
TDD: 1-800-848-0983

Address for correspondence:

Borrower Services
Direct Loan Servicing Center
P.O. Box 4609
Utica, NY 13504-4609

Web site: https://www.dlssonline.com/borrower/BorrowerWelcomePage.jsp

What is the address where prepayments or interest payments are sent?

Address for payments:

Direct Loan Payment Center
P.O. Box 78451
Phoenix, AZ 85062-8451

Important points to remember

While the Entrance material will discuss the loan terms and conditions in detail, there are just a few points that we would like to stress:

This page last updated on July 12, 2007