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Exit Counseling provides important information for student borrowers to prepare and manage repayment with their federal loan(s). Exit Counseling reviews the student borrowers’ rights and responsibilities including: understanding the loan process, loan repayment options, types of postponement (deferment and forbearance), delinquency, default, loan consolidation and loan forgiveness. If a student received a Direct Subsidized or Direct Unsubsidized loan(s), they are required to complete an exit counseling session each time any of the following occurs:

  • Graduate
  • Leave or Withdraw from school (transfers included)
  • Drop below half-time enrollment (less than six credits)

Student borrowers who decide to take a semester off by withdrawing or leaving for any reason or have enrolled in less than six credits, will be required to complete an exit counseling session, as we cannot guarantee future enrollment. Also, student borrowers who graduate with a degree from Windward Community College (WCC) and obtain a second degree or transfer to another college will be required to complete an exit counseling for WCC, regardless of the student’s new home campus. A financial aid counselor is available on-site for student loan advising in the WCC Financial Aid Office. Please call the WCC Financial Aid Office at 808-235-7449 or email us at wccfao@hawaii.edu to schedule an appointment to meet with a Financial Aid Counselor for more information regarding student loans.

Here is an online copy of the Direct Student Loan Exit Counseling booklet (pdf)

COMPLETING AN ONLINE EXIT COUNSELING SESSION

Follow the instructions below to complete the online Direct Student Loan Exit Counseling session. Or, if you prefer to meet in-person with a Financial Aid counselor, please call the WCC Financial Aid Office at 808-235-7449 or email us at wccfao@hawaii.edu to schedule an appointment to complete the Direct Student Loan Exit Counseling session.

If you are going to meet in-person, please bring with you the following information:

  1. FSA ID Username and Password. (fsaid.ed.gov)
  2. Provide 3 references, including name, address, email address and telephone numbers
    • Cosest relative or next of kin.
    • References (e.g., employer, counselor, relative NOT in the same household).

Instructions for completing the online Direct Student Loan Exit Counseling online:

  • Go to https://www.studentloans.gov.
  • Click on the ‘Login’ icon and enter your Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID, username and password). Please note, if you login incorrectly three times or more with the wrong username or password, the account will be locked for 30 minutes. Please use the forgot your username or password option.
  • Review disclaimer information.
  • Click on the icon link ‘Complete Exit Counseling.’
  • At ‘Complete Counseling’ screen, scroll down to Exit Counseling at the bottom of the page and click on ‘START’ to begin.
  • In the left navigation bar, under ‘Add School to Notify’, add ‘Windward Community College’, then click ‘NOTIFY THIS SCHOOL’, then click ‘Continue.’
  • Complete the online Exit Counseling session – includes five loan literacy modules.
  • Complete ‘CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE’ boxes to advance in the session.
  • Click ‘SUBMIT’ upon completion.

Tip
Check your student loan status each term by registering with your student loan servicer at their website for first-hand information on your student loans. It is important to remember that your federal loan servicer is there to help you stay clear of delinquency and default. There are a variety of options they can provide. The worst thing you can do is ignore them!

For a full history of your federal student loans, please go to http://nslds.ed.gov.

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