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- Perkins Loan Repayment
Perkins Loan Repayment Guide
Dear Payee,The Perkins Loan (formerly National Direct Student Loan) Program was established to assist students in financing their postsecondary educations. This program has played a significant role in enabling students to attend college.
Repayment is important to you and future University of Maryland students. By signing the promissory note for the Perkins Loan, you agreed to repay your loan upon leaving school. Your repayment makes it possible for other students to benefit from this financial resource.
Repaying the loan establishes a credit reference which may be built upon in obtaining credit from other sources. Failure to repay the Perkins Loan may seriously impair your future borrowing ability.
The purpose of the exit interview and this booklet is to inform you of your rights and responsibilities as a borrower under the Perkins Loan program. It is hoped that this booklet will help answer your questions regarding repayment responsibilities.
Sarah Bauder
Director
Student Financial Aid
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Servicing Your Perkins Loan
- The Exit Interview
- Your Rights and Responsibilities
- Payment and Billing
- Deferment of Payment
- Cancellation of Loan
- Loan Consolidation
- Credit and Default
- Summary
- Deferment & Cancellation Tables
Servicing Your Perkins Loan
The University has contracted with Campus Partners to service your Perkins loan after you leave school. While the University will still maintain your Perkins loan, Campus Partners will be responsible for sending you billing statements, receiving and processing your payments, reviewing and processing deferment and cancellation forms, and addressing all of your other customer service needs.
Campus Partners' Automated Response System is available Monday-Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST to provide you with basic loan information. In addition, borrower service representatives are available to assist you Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST. Their toll free telephone number is 1-800-334-8609. You may also access Campus Partners' website at www.campuspartners.com, where you can obtain instructions on using Campus Partners' borrower services, obtain and review the various types of deferments available to Perkins loan borrowers, and download a host of borrower forms for your use.
Among the features offered by Campus Partners is the Automatic Direct Draft Option, permitting the automatic withdrawal of your loan payment from your checking account.
Payments, forms, and correspondence should be mailed to:
| Campus Partners |
| P.O. Box 2901 |
| Winston-Salem, NC 27102-2901 |
The Exit Interview
Regardless of your reason for leaving the University, as a recipient of a Federal Perkins Loan you are required to attend an exit interview. At the exit interview, your rights and responsibilities as a borrower are discussed along with your repayment schedules, terms of payment, billing procedures, interest charges, etc. It is at this time, too, that you will be presented with summary information on all loans you have received from the University of Maryland (including the amount and date on which your first payment will be due).
Exit interview attendance is essential in that during the session you will have an opportunity to ask questions about your loan(s), your eligibility for deferment or cancellation benefits, and your obligation to pay back your loan now that you are no longer in school. Although the above areas are discussed in this booklet, there may be special conditions that apply to you which require further clarification.
The exit interview also provides us with an opportunity to update the information we have on you--your name and address as well as information regarding future plans which may affect your repayment terms.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
Borrower RIGHTS:
The University must inform you of the following:
1. Where to send payments and write for answers to questions.
| Campus Partners |
| P.O. Box 2901 |
| Winston-Salem, NC 27102-2901 |
2. What your total debt (principal and interest) will be and the interest rate.
3. Your first due date and the number, frequency, and amount of all payments.
4. Your right to be granted a deferment in accordance with your promissory note, provided you supply the appropriate documentation.
5. Your option to repay your loan early without penalty.
6. About loan consolidation options.
7. What fees, penalties, and charges you could incur for late payments and defaulting on your loan.
8. About your grace period and loan cancellation possibilities.
9. The University must also provide a copy of your promissory note(s).
Borrower RESPONSIBILITIES:
You are required to do the following without exception:
1. To notify Campus Partners of any change in your address, name, or social security number.
2. To pay your loan according to the repayment schedule.
3. Provide the proper forms--entirely completed--for any deferment or cancellation request.
4. To notify Campus Partners of any change in deferment, enrollment, graduate, or cancellation status.
5. To attend an exit interview and update your information with the Office of the Bursar or Campus Partners before you leave the University regardless of your reason for leaving.
Payment And Billing Procedures
Grace Period:
Once you have left school or are registered as less than half-time (minimum of 6 credits for an undergraduate and 24 units for a graduate), you are entitled to a nine month grace period. During this time, no payment is required and interest does not accrue.
During your grace period you will receive notices updating you on your loan along with another copy of your repayment schedule which you must sign and return. These notices will be printed on your bill forms but will indicate a "grace period notice" or "statement of account" and should not be confused with an actual bill.
Those who are granted a deferment will receive an updated repayment schedule 90 days into the grace period. You must sign and return each repayment schedule for our file record.
Billing:
Billing cycles are set up on a quarterly basis. Minimum amounts due are $90.00 quarterly or $120.00 quarterly if you have received your first loan after 10/1/92. Those who have borrowed more than $2,800.00 will find their quarterly payments increase with the size of their loan in order to repay the loan within the 10 year maximum time limit allowed under federal law.
Bills are mailed by Campus Partners approximately 20 days prior to the due date, however, borrowers are reminded they are still responsible for payments due even if bills are not received. Contact Campus Partners to resolve billing questions or if you don't receive a bill. You must update your address with Campus Partners to ensure timely receipt of bills.
Payments are due on the first of the month. If a payment is not received within 15 days of the due date, an overdue notice will be sent and late fees assessed. Please write your account number on all checks and send your checks to Campus Partners to the address indicated.
Paying ahead or making prepayments is allowed without penalty but does not necessarily replace your obligation to make a scheduled payment. A borrower is not allowed to double up one quarter and skip the next quarter without notifying Campus Partners.
DEFERMENTS
Definition:
Deferment is a period when interest does not accumulate and payments on the principal loan need not be paid. Borrowers who qualify for deferments must submit a completed deferment form. A blank student deferment form maybe obtained by visiting Campus Partners website at
www.campuspartners.com, or you may call Campus Partners at 1(800)334-8609 to obtain one.Deadlines:
- Certified student deferment forms for the spring semester are due in June, to cover the period of January to June.
- Certified student deferment forms for the fall semester are due in December, to cover the period of September to December.
- For other types of deferments you must submit a certified form every six months.
Details:
- You need to complete Part I of the deferment form and have Part II certified by the Registrar, Commanding Officer, or other authorized certifying official.
- To receive a Hardship or unemployment Deferment or a Forbearance, you must contact Campus Partners to request the appropriate form. You need to complete the entire form and return it with your payment with any accrued interest. Interest will continue to accumulate on accounts in forbearance and must be paid.
CANCELLATIONS
Borrowers who qualify for cancellation benefits must submit a written cancellation request. You need to contact Campus Partners to request a cancellation form and to find out if your loan qualifies for cancellation benefits. The certified forms are due every year until your eligibility ends. If you remit payments while you are eligible for loan cancellation, your payments will not be refunded.
LOAN CONSOLIDATION
If you have to remit payments to several lenders, you may consolidate your Perkins loan with your other loans. Consolidation may let you pay graduated payments, or income-sensitive payments, depending on the amount of your total debt. You may also be able to stretch your repayments beyond ten years.
--Consolidation will increase your interest rate--
If you need additional information on consolidation or to receive an application, please contact any one of the following organizations.
- AMS Consolidation Loan(800)340-9544
- Citibank Student Loan Corporation (800)692-8200
- Crestar Bank Consolidation Center (800)338-5000
- Sallie Mae Education Loan Center (800)524-9100
- USA Funds Loan Consolidation Program (800)448-3533
- US Department of Education Direct Consolidation Loans (800)848-0982
Credit & Default
The loan you are about to begin repaying will provide you with an excellent credit reference, provided you meet your responsibilities. In order to process a credit reference we will need your written authorization. Most companies seeking reference checks have forms you can sign and forward to us to complete.
Those who choose to ignore their obligation and fail to remit timely payments will find the following actions taken:
1. University services withheld. All future services including transcripts, diplomas, and financial aid will be denied.2. Transfer to Collection Agency. All delinquent loans must, by state law, be referred to the State Central Collection Unit (SCCU) where collection costs of up to 24% will be added to the amount due, the loan will be accelerated making the entire amount of the loan due, and future deferments may be denied. SCCU has the authority to withhold Maryland state tax refunds, file suit, and garnish wages.
3. Credit Bureau Report. All current and delinquent loans are reported by Campus Partners to all three national credit bureaus. Those accounts referred to SCCU will adversely affect a borrower's future credit worthiness.4. Assignment to the U.S. Department of Education. Loans that remain in default may be assigned to the Federal Government who will pursue collection action indefinitely. The U.S. Department of Education will also withhold Federal tax refunds and prevent Federal employment for many with defaulted loans.
The single best thing a borrower can do is to keep the lines of communication open. This loan is an important responsibility and must be treated that way.
SUMMARY
Campus Partners' address and main phone numbers are listed below. Please remember that all correspondence, forms, and payments should show your account number. Please direct all questions and written documentation to the address below.
Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
Campus Partners
P.O. Box 2901
Winston-Salem, NC 27102-2901
DEFERMENTS FOR PERKINS LOANS
For information on the various types of deferments and cancellation provisions offered under the Perkins Loans Program for which you may be eligible, you may go to Campus Partners website at www.campuspartners.com
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