Time to start paying back your student loans? Here are tips to help you with the repayment process.
Access Your Loan Information
All Loan and Grant History at UVM Can be Accessed through the myUVM Student Portal.
Use your myUVM portal to access your full loan and grant history at UVM by following these steps:
- Login to the myUVM portal and click "View Award History" in the Student Financial Services section.
- You will be able to view your loan and grant history by aid year.
- This site will not reflect any payments you may have already made toward your loans. Your award history reflects the total initial paid amount of each award in each year.
- Whether you are an active student, or an alum, if you are having trouble logging in to the UVM Portal, contact the TechTeam.
Federal Loan and Grant Information: Access through the National Student Loan Database
- Use the U.S. Department of Education's National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) to access your federal loan and grant information, including amount borrowed, service providers, contact information, etc.
- NSLDS contains information on all Title IV programs, which includes Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct PLUS, Perkins, Pell Grant, SEOG, ACG, SMART.
- You will need your FSA ID to access your information on NSLDS. If you do not remember your FSA ID, go to Federal Student Aid to "Request a Duplicate."
- Your loan information on NSLDS will include contact information for the servicer for each loan.
UVM and Perkins Loan Information: Access through Heartland ECSI
- UVM loans and Federal Perkins Loans borrowed by UVM students are administered by Heartland ECSI, which assists in the administration and billing of UVM and Federal Perkins Loans.
- You can monitor your UVM and Perkins Loans online at www.heartlandecsi.com or call 888-549-3274.
Repaying UVM Loans and Perkins Loans
Heartland ECSI acts on behalf of UVM for the billing and repayment of your UVM loans and Federal Perkins loans.
- As an agent for UVM, Heartland ECSI will assist you in meeting your repayment obligation for your student loan(s).
- You can monitor your UVM and Perkins Loans online at www.heartlandecsi.com or call 888-549-3274.
Repaying Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized and PLUS Loans
It is important to know who your loan servicer is and to establish a relationship with them. For more information on finding your servicer, please read the section on accessing your loan information.
Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Information
- Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan repayment begins 6 months after a student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time enrollment.
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loans do not typically accrue interest while a student is enrolled at least half-time. The interest subsidy may be limited for students who do not complete their program within 150% of its published program length. Interest does accrue while in repayment.
Federal Direct PLUS Loan Information
- PLUS Loan repayment begins after the loan is fully disbursed. The first payment is due within 60 days of the final disbursement, unless the borrower requests a deferment.
- A Graduate PLUS Loan borrower can defer repayment while enrolled at least half-time.
- Parent PLUS Loan borrowers whose loans were first disbursed on or after July 1, 2008, may choose to have repayment deferred while the student for whom the loan is borrowed is enrolled at least half-time and for 6 months after the student is no longer enrolled at least half-time.
- Parent PLUS Loan borrowers who are also students, can defer repayment while enrolled at least half-time.
- Interest that accrues during deferement periods will be capitalized if not paid by the borrower during the deferment.
Setting Up a Payment Plan for Federal Direct Loans
The federal government offers a variety of payment plans for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized and Direct Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers.
- Standard, extended, or graduated payment plans will determine the amount of your monthly payments, the number of monthly payments, and the total amount that you owe with interest.
- Most federal student loans are eligible for at least one income-driven repayment plan. If your income is low enough, your payment could be as low as $0 per month.
- Four income-driven plans are: Pay-As-You-Earn, Revised Pay-As-You-Earn, Income-Based and Income-Contingent. With these plans, payments adjust as income changes.
- Visit Studentaid.gov for details.
For more information about all federal student loan payment options, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Loan Repayment Plans page.
Complete an Exit Interview
Graduating students who have borrowed federal and/or UVM loans must complete Loan Exit Counseling (Interviews) for those loans.
For UVM Loans, including Federal Perkins Loans:
- Exit Interviews for UVM loans are done online at www.ecsi.net.
- ECSI is the administrator for all UVM loans, including Perkins Loans.
- Graduating students will receive an email from ECSI in their final semester with login information and instructions for completing the Exit Interview.
- If you are graduating but have lost your ECSI login information, contact ECSI at 1-888-549-3274.
For Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans:
- Exit Counseling for federal loans (Subsidized/Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS) are done online at NSLDS.
- The FSA ID is required to access NSLDS. If you have forgotten your FSA ID, visit Studentaid.ed.gov.
Larner College of Medicine Students
Visit Medical Student Financial Services Senior Series to help you prepare for education loan repayment and other financial coaching as you begin your departure from medical school.
Consolidate Your Loans
Some federal student loan borrowers may be eligible to consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan.
Please review the information below, and go to StudentLoans.gov or mappingyourfuture.org for additional information.
- Consolidation combines different types of federal student loans, including Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, Perkins Loans, and Graduate PLUS Loans.
- To qualify for a Direct Consolidation Loan, a borrower must have at least one Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) that is in grace, repayment, deferment, or default status.
- Loans that are in an in-school status cannot be included in a Direct Consolidation Loan.
- The interest rate on a consolidation loan is set to the weighted average of the interest rates of the loans being consolidated.
- Consolidation extends repayment 120-360 months, which means there is the potential of paying more interest over the repayment period.
Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, or Discharge
As a loan borrower, you must pay back your loans. Depending on your situation, there may be circumstances where you are no longer required to repay some or all of a loan you have borrowed due to forgiveness, cancellation, or a discharge of your loan.
Learn more about loan forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge, and find out whether you qualify due to your job or other circumstances.
Learm more details about the Biden-Harris Administration's Student Debt Relief Plan.
Monitor Your Credit
Good credit allows you to borrow money for a house, a car, or your business. Anytime you go to a bank or lender to borrow money, your credit report will be reviewed.
- Loans in deferment, even while you're in school, and in repayment will be listed on your credit report.
- Loans in deferment/forbearance may be questioned if you are trying to access new credit (buying a car, home, etc.), especially if the deferment is not due to an in-school status.
- Making late payments on your student loans can have a negative impact on your credit history and score. A negative entry on your credit report due to a late payment can remain listed for up to seven years, according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Loan default happens when a borrower becomes 270 days delinquent on a loan (the time count starts on the day after payment is missed).
- Remember that communication is the key to avoiding loan default. If you are having trouble making payments, contact the servicer for your loans to find out about your options.
- There are three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies that you should check on an annual basis: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to learn about accessing your credit reports.