Exit Counseling Houston Christian University is required by the federal government to provide you with information regarding your rights and responsibilities for the repayment of the subsidized, unsubsidized, or PLUS loans you received while attending HCU. Students who borrowed Federal Direct Loans are required to complete exit counseling if they graduate, withdraw, drop below half-time enrollment or stop attending the institution. This requirement is necessary even if you plan to return to the institution in the future semesters. Exit counseling is available online at www.studentaid.gov. It will provide important information regarding the student’s loan obligations, repayment options and the necessary steps before entering repayment of your student loans. Students will receive an email notification when exit counseling is required. Once completed, we will remove the requirement from the students account. Grace Period before Entering Repayments Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans: Borrowers are granted a six month grace period from the time they are no longer enrolled at least half-time before repayment begins. For specific details about your repayment schedule, you must contact your loan servicer. Parent PLUS Loans: Repayment terms and grace periods for Parent PLUS Loans vary. Parents should contact the loan servicer directly to determine when repayment will begin and to review available repayment options. Loan Summary and Servicer Information You can review your total loan balance, accrued interest, and loan servicer contact information. Repayment Plan Options Staying in contact with your loan servicer is essential to avoid falling into default. The Department of Education offers a variety of repayment plans to help borrowers manage their federal student loans. Learn more about repayment information, loan totals and servicer information. You can pick from repayment plans that base your monthly payment on your income or that give you a fixed monthly payment over a set repayment period. Your loan servicer can help you explore the repayment options that best fit your needs. The loan simulator can be used to compare repayment plans. Default Prevention and Deferments You may qualify for a loan deferment under certain circumstances, such as: Being enrolled at least half-time at an eligible postsecondary institution Participating in an approved graduate fellowship program Experiencing economic hardship Being unable to find full-time employment To determine your eligibility and explore available deferment options, contact your loan server. If your loan is already in default and seeking to get out of default, you can visit the Default Resolution Group for guidance on default resolution and steps to get back in good standing. The Default Resolution Group will provide assistance to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, consolidation, or sign up for loan rehabilitation. The Department of Education has resumed collections as of May 5, 2025. You will start to receive communications from the Department of Education. In addition, we have partnered with Trellis to send text and communications on behalf of HCU. If you do not rehabilitate your loans and get out of default, be prepared for Administrative Wage Garnishment from the Department of Education, later this summer. To prevent garnishment of your wages through your employer, you must resolve your default status or establish a monthly payment schedule, consolidate loan and/or begin making your monthly payments immediately. Federal Loan Debt Notices The Office of Financial Aid has partnered with Inceptia, to send Debt Notices on our behalf. Since we participate in the state financial aid programs, we are required to provide our students with an annual letter notifying them of their current federal loan debt and estimates of future payments. Inceptia will send notices at the end of the fall and spring terms. Information included in this publication is subject to change. Contact the Office of Financial Aid with any questions you may have about this information.
