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Loan Information

Default Prevention Plan

Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office has developed a plan for default prevention and debt management. To view it, click Hawaii Community College Default Prevention Plan.

Don’t Borrow Blindly

It’s important for students to understand all the terms of their loans and their repayment responsibilities before they borrow. Student loans are nearly impossible to discharge in bankruptcy, so the student loan choices made today could impact borrowers for the rest of their lives. For more information click Student Loan Repayment Interest Rate Tables

Types of Loans

DIRECT SUBSIDIZED STAFFORD LOAN (FDSUB)
This is a loan which must be repaid and is based on financial need. The interest rate may be either fixed or variable, depending on whether the student has an outstanding Stafford loan balance at the time the loan is made. The loan funds and repayments are made through the Department of Education Direct Lending Program. Repayment begins 6 months after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) enrollment at Hawaii Community College.

DIRECT UNSUBSIDIZED STAFFORD LOAN (FDUSUB)
This is a non-need based loan that must be repaid. The interest rate is either fixed or variable depending on whether the student has an outstanding Stafford loan balance at the time the loan is made. The loan funds and repayments are made through the Department of Education Direct Lending Program. Interest begins accruing (accumulating) upon the disbursement of loan funds. It requires at least half-time (6 credit hours) enrollment to apply.

DIRECT PLUS LOAN (FDPLUS)
The Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is for parents of dependent students who want to borrow to help pay for their children’s college cost. The interest rate is variable and parents borrow through the Department of Education is Direct Lending Program. Interest begins accruing (accumulating) upon disbursement of loan funds. The amount a parent can borrow is determined by the cost of attendance per child minus any other financial aid. All FDPLUS applicants are subject to a credit check approval. Graduate students are also eligible for FDPLUS loans.

Steps to Apply for Student Loans

Student Loan Borrower

A First-Time Borrower must:

  1. Complete a loan entrance counseling session at www.studentloans.gov
  2. Submit a direct loan request form to Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office

            - Please see below for Direct Loan Request Form (Student)

  3. Electronically sign a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note with the FAFSA Pin at www.studentloans.gov
  4. Click on USA Funds Life Skills Module Guide.pdf to get the instructions on how to complete the three (3) Life Skills Modules for Student Loan Borrowers at https://gm1.geolearning.com/geonext/lifeskills/opensite.geo. You will need to enter a school code: 00525800 and a student access code: 00525800-01.
    • #101 - How Will I Pay for My Higher Education?
    • #203 - How Do I Live on a Budget While I’m in School?
    • #102 - How do I apply for Financial Aid?

Note: Any borrower who has 0-24 credits earned at Hawaii Community College and/or who has never received a Federal Student loan will have a 30-day delay in the disbursement of funds.

A Second-Time Borrower must:

  1. Submit a direct loan request form to Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office

            - Please see below for Direct Loan Request Form (Student)

  2. Click on USA Funds Life Skills Module Guide.pdf to get the instructions on how to complete the three (5) Life Skills Modules for Student Loan Borrowers at https://gm1.geolearning.com/geonext/lifeskills/opensite.geo. You will need to enter a school code: 00525800 and a student access code: 00525800-01.
    • #204 - How Do I Manage My School Life?
    • #205 - How Do I Manage My Personal Life While in School?
    • #104 - What if I Have Trouble Repaying My Student Loans?
    • #401 - How Do I Manage My Credit Card Debt?
    • #105 - How to manage my student loans while I‘m in school?

A Third-Time Borrower Must:

  1. Submit a direct loan request form to Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office

            - Please see below for Direct Loan Request Form (Student)

  2. Click on USA Funds Life Skills Module Guide.pdf to get the instructions on how to complete the three (5) Life Skills Modules for Student Loan Borrowers at https://gm1.geolearning.com/geonext/lifeskills/opensite.geo. You will need to enter a school code: 00525800 and a student access code: 00525800-01.
    • #301 - Now that I am About to Graduate, How Do I Find a Job?
    • #302 - How Do I Prepare for a Job Interview?
    • #303 - How Do I establish Career Goals?
    • #304 - Where Does My Paycheck Go?
    • #305 - How Do I live on a Budget After I Have Completed School?

A Fourth-Time Borrower or More Must:

  1. Submit a direct loan request form for Fourth-Time borrower to Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office

            - Please see below for Direct Loan Request Form For 4th Time Borrower or More (Student)

Unless you indicate that you will be going less than full-time, all loans will be certified at full-time status (12+ credits). If you are enrolled less than full-time, there may be a delay in disbursement. To receive Federal Student loans you must be enrolled in at least 6 credits to be certified. Notify the Financial Aid Office of any status changes or retakes of the Life Skills Modules by logging it in the MyUH Portal comment box.

*NOTE: IF ANY PART OF YOUR LOAN REQUEST FORM IS INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT, IT WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

Parent PLUS Loan Borrower

PLUS Loan Borrower must:

  1. Request a PLUS loan at www.studentloans.gov
    • Sign in with your Department of Education PIN.
  2. Submit a direct PLUS loan request form to Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office.

    3.         - Please see below for Direct PLUS Loan Request Form (Parent)

After you have completed all requirements:

  1. Hawaii Community College Financial Aid Office will certify the loan and electronically forward the information to the US Department of Education.
  2. Funds will be electronically disbursed to Hawaii Community College (if you have not signed up for E-Refund, the Business Office will cut a refund check).
  3. Hawaii Community College recommends all students to sign up for E-Refund. (E-Refund information can be found at http://hawaii.edu/news/docs/eRefunds.pdf)

Loan Request Forms

Academic Year William D. Ford Stafford (Student) William D. Ford Direct PLUS (Parent)
2012 - 2013 PDF Document    Direct Loan Request Form 2012-13

 PDF Document    Direct PLUS Loan Request Form
2013 - 2014 PDF Document    Direct PLUS Loan Request Form