Exit Counseling
Exit counseling is required any time a federal loan borrower drops below half-time enrollment
This may include, but is not limited to:
- dropping below half-time enrollment from one semester to the next
- dropping below half-time enrollment for the current semester by withdrawing from some or all classes
- graduating
- transferring to another institution
- sitting out for a semester
- beginning a leave of absence
- stopping out of college
Students who may need to complete exit counseling are sent notifications to their MIX and/or personal emails. They may also receive a letter to the permanent address listed on their student account if they do not have a non-WVU email address on file.
Please note that if you have a Federal Perkins Loan or institutional loans, you must complete another exit counseling process in addition to federal exit counseling. You will receive a separate communication from Heartland/ECSI regarding how to complete this second exit counseling.
- How to Complete Exit Counseling
- How long will it take?
- Why is exit counseling important?
- Other FAQs and resources
How to Complete Exit Counseling
Exit counseling must be completed in a single session, so please plan accordingly. Most students take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete the process online, and you can get started by following these steps:
- Go to the Federal Student Aid website
- Log in with your FSA ID (the same Federal Student Aid ID you use to log in to the FAFSA)
- Under the "My Checklists" section, click the dropdown arrow next to "I'm in School" and select "Complete Exit Counseling"
- Click on the "Start" button on the following screen for your appropriate student type
- In the panel on the left side of the screen, be sure to add West Virginia University as a school you wish to notify (school code G03827)
- Click "Continue" to begin
- Complete counseling and submit
If you would prefer not to complete exit counseling online, you may also read the Direct Loan Exit Counseling Guide, fill out the "Student Contact Information and Acknowledgement" pages at the end, and return those to us. However, completing your exit counseling online will satisfy your requirement faster, and the online information provided may be more up to date.
How Long Will it Take?
The entire process must be completed in a single session. Most people complete it in 20 to 30 minutes.
Why Is Exit Counseling Important?
After graduating, leaving school, or dropping below half-time enrollment, federal loan borrowers typically enter a grace period, meaning they do not have to make payments on their loans for a set amount of time. You can find out more about the grace period on the Federal Student Aid Student Loan Repayment website. Even if you don't have to repay your loans right away, there's still a lot to consider and plan for. That's where exit counseling comes in.
Exit counseling is a process that provides information about your federal loan servicer and can help you understand the details of repayment - such as when repayment starts, how to repay, repayment plans, and what to do if you have trouble making payments. Do not delay!
You’re not alone when it comes to student loans. West Virginia University has partnered with Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), to provide you with FREE assistance on your Federal student loan obligations to ensure successful, and comfortable, loan repayment. Inceptia’s friendly customer representatives may reach out to you during your grace period to answer questions you have about your loan obligation and/or repayment options. They may also contact you if your loan(s) become delinquent. Inceptia is not a collection agency. We’ve partnered with them to help you explore a wide variety of possibilities such as alternative repayment plans, deferment, consolidation, discharge, forgiveness, and forbearance options. Inceptia will stay in touch with you via phone calls, letters, and/or emails to help you find answers to your questions and solutions to your issues.
For additional resources including information on repayment options, please visit Inceptia’s Federal Student Loan Overview website.