When do I repay?
See the playlist: Loan repayment
Repayment is when you pay back your student loans. After you graduate or drop below half-time (6 credits per term), you have a grace period of 6 months. After the 6 months are up, you have to start making payments on your loans. Here is what you need to know about repayment in a nutshell.
Repayment loan timeline
In school
Entrance counseling: where you learn about your loan before accepting the money.
Master promissory note: a legal agreement where you promise to repay your loans to the Department of Education.
Exit counseling: where you learn about repayment and what happens if you don’t repay. You complete exit counseling when you leave PCC or drop below half-time.
Grace period: the six-month period before you begin making your monthly loan payments.
Repayment
Repayment: you make monthly loan payments until your loan is paid. Standard repayment is 10 years.
Paid in full!
Help with repayment options
Need support throughout the loan repayment process? PCC has partnered with Student Connections, a service that provides free, up-to-date, and accurate info about your repayment options. Talk to a Borrower Advocate and get one-on-one help with any questions.
How to make payments
1. Where to send payments
First, you’ll need to find out how much you owe and who you owe. You can find the amount of your loans and servicer by going to StudentAid.gov. This website stores all the information on your student loans. For each loan you see, go to the servicer’s website and set up an account.
2. Start making payments
You will make your payments to your loan servicer. You’ll start off on the standard repayment plan, which is a great plan and you can stick with it if you want. However, there are other repayment plans that can make your monthly payments more affordable. See all your options: student loan repayment plans.
The most important thing is that you make your monthly payments on time every month.
Making interest payments while you are in school
Most students defer payments until after graduation, but if you can, think about paying the interest while you are still in school. A small payment each month (around $30) can keep that interest from stacking up, which means that you will owe a lot less when you graduate.
For example: for a $5,000 loan, your monthly interest payments would be $28. If you paid this interest while in school, you would save $940!
See step-by-step instructions for setting up interest payments.
