Student Loan Information

Do I have to accept a loan?

No, there is no need to accept a loan if you can meet your educational expenses without a loan. Even after you accept a loan, you may reconsider your decision. You can always talk over your financing options by contacting our office.

NOTE:  Unaccepted Loans will be cancelled after the add / drop period.  However, students can request loans be reinstated by completing an Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

What if I want to increase the amount I accepted or reinstate a loan I declined?

Complete an Award Adjustment Request Form to increase or reinstate your loan.

What if I want to cancel an accepted loan?

Complete an Award Adjustment Request Form to cancel your accepted loan. Please note that if you are canceling a loan that has already been paid to your student account, you may have to repay some or all of the amount borrowed.

Federal Direct Loans are loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education to help eligible students pay for educational expenses. Direct Loans have a fixed interest rate and offer a variety of repayment options. Interest rates, loan fees, annual limits, and aggregate borrowing limits are set by federal law and may change by award year. Review current federal loan information, including loan limits, interest rates, and fees, on the Federal Student Aid website.

Applying for the loan

If you are eligible, Federal Direct Loans may be included in your financial aid offer. The Direct Loan program offers two types of student loans: Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Depending on your eligibility, which is based on your FAFSA, cost of attendance, enrollment, grade level, dependency status, other financial aid, and federal loan limits, you may be offered Subsidized Loans, Unsubsidized Loans, or both.  

Subsidized Loans are based on financial need. Unsubsidized Loans are not based on financial need. You can watch this short video on the differences between Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans.

Federal Direct Loans are subject to annual and aggregate borrowing limits. These limits may vary based on your academic level, dependency status, program type, enrollment, and prior borrowing. Review current maximum eligibility amounts on Federal Student Aid, and log in to your StudentAid.gov account to view your personal federal loan history.

Accept your loan

Determine how much of your offered loans you would like to accept, and then accept that amount on your MyCSULB Student Center.

NOTE:  Unaccepted Loans will be cancelled after the add / drop period.  However, students can request loans be reinstated by completing an Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

Complete Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note 

If you are a first-time Direct Loan borrower at CSU Long Beach, you will need to complete two requirements online before your loan funds can be released: 

• Direct Loan Entrance Counseling

  Entrance Counseling explains your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. You only need to complete Entrance Counseling the first time you borrow a Direct Loan at CSULB.
   

• Master Promissory Note for a Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan (MPN)

  A Master Promissory Note, also called an MPN, is a legal document in which you agree to repay your loan, including any interest and fees, to the U.S. Department of Education. In most cases, an MPN can be used for multiple Direct Loans over a period of up to 10 years. You may be required to complete a new MPN if your previous MPN has expired or cannot be used.

NOTE:  Accepted loans with missing Entrance Counseling and/or a missing Master Promissory Note will be automatically canceled after the add/drop period. If you still want to borrow after that deadline, submit an .Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

Enrollment Requirements

Your financial aid offer shows loan eligibility based on full-time enrollment; your actual loan eligibility may be reduced if you enroll less than full time.

Due to Federal regulatory changes beginning July 1, 2026, you must be enrolled full time to receive your full Federal Direct Loan eligibility.

Full-time enrollment for Federal Direct Loan purposes:

     Undergraduate students: 12 or more financial aid eligible units
     Teaching Credential students: 12 or more financial aid eligible units
     Master’s degree students: 8 or more financial aid eligible units
     Doctoral degree students: 6 or more financial aid eligible units

If you enroll less than full time, your Federal Direct Loan eligibility will be reduced based on your enrollment level. You may not receive the full loan amount shown in your financial aid offer.

Enrollment less than half time will result in no Federal Direct Loan eligibility. 

Half-Time enrollment for Federal Direct Loan purposes:

     Undergraduate students: 6 or more financial aid eligible units
     Teaching Credential students: 6 or more financial aid eligible units
     Master’s degree students: 4 or more financial aid eligible units
     Doctoral degree students: 3 or more financial aid eligible units

Students enrolled less than half time are not eligible for Federal Direct Loans. If your enrollment changes after your loan is offered or disbursed, your loan eligibility may be recalculated, reduced, or canceled.

When does repayment begin?

Direct Loans generally enter repayment after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time enrollment. Most borrowers have a 6-month grace period before payments are due. During the grace period, payments are not required.

Interest does not accrue on Direct Subsidized Loans during the grace period. Interest does accrue on Direct Unsubsidized Loans during the grace period and will be added to your loan balance if you do not pay it before repayment begins.

There are a variety of repayment options available for Direct Loans. Your loan servicer will provide repayment information, including your payment due date, repayment options, and required monthly payment. You can use the Department of Education's Loan Simulator to review repayment options. You may repay your loan early without penalty. 

Exit Counseling For Direct Loan Borrowers

Exit Counseling provides important information to help you prepare to repay your Direct Loan(s). If you borrowed a Direct Loan, you must complete Exit Counseling when you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment. Our office will email you about any requirement to complete Exit Counseling.

The California Dream Loan Program provides eligible AB540 students with the option to borrow a loan to help cover the cost of attending CSULB. 

Applying for the loan

If you are interested in borrowing a Dream Loan, make an appointment with a financial aid counselor in Beach Central to talk over next steps.

Accept your loan

If you are eligible for the Dream Loan, you will be notified by email after the loan has been added to your Award Summary on your MyCSULB Student Center. Accept your loan offer on MyCSULB by the deadline listed in your email notification. 

You may choose to decline the loan offer or accept less than what is offered to you, but funds are limited and you may not be able to increase your loan at a later time.

NOTE:  Unaccepted Loans will be cancelled after the add / drop period.  However, students can request loans be reinstated by completing an Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

Complete Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note

Once you have accepted your loan, you will need to complete the following requirements:

• Entrance Counseling
• Promissory Note
  • You will need to complete the Promissory Note each year that you borrow a DREAM loan.

These will be posted on your To Do List on your MyCSULB Student Center.  You will receive an email from ECSI, the loan servicer, with instructions for completing these items. Be sure to complete all items prior to the deadline listed in your To Do List. 

When all steps have been completed, ECSI will notify our office (within 3 business days), after which we will remove the items from your To Do List, and will be able to release the DREAM Loan funds to your student account. Any amount received in excess of outstanding CSULB charges will be refunded to you.

NOTE:  Accepted Loans with missing Entrance Counseling and/or Promissory note will be automatically cancelled after the add / drop period.  However, students can request loans be reinstated by completing an Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

When does repayment begin?

You will enter repayment any time you drop below half-time, whether that is due to graduation, withdrawal, or enrolling in less than half-time. You will have a 6-month grace period at the start of repayment; there are no payments required during the grace period and interest does not accrue on your DREAM loan. After the grace period, you will begin making payments to ECSI, the Dream Loan servicer.

The monthly payment amount is calculated to a standard 10 year repayment term. You can pay off your loan earlier without any penalty.

Repayment Plans

CA Dream Loan borrowers have a standard repayment and income based repayment plan available.

For more information visit heartland.ecsi.net. Under Download Forms, search for California State University (Dream Loans).

Exit Counseling For Dream Loan Borrowers

Exit counseling provides important information to prepare you to repay your Dream loan(s). If you have received a Dream Loan, you must complete exit counseling each time you drop below half-time enrollment; graduate; or leave school.

When it is time for you to complete your Exit Counseling, you will be notified by CSULB and ECSI with instructions.

Graduate PLUS Loans are loans offered by the Department of Education to help you pay for your education. Grad PLUS loans have a fixed interest rate and a variety of repayment options; you must not have an adverse credit history to borrow a Grad PLUS loan. 

Applying for the loan

Grad PLUS Loans are an option for graduate or doctoral students who have borrowed their maximum annual Student Loan amount. PLUS loans can be borrowed up to the cost of attendance, minus any other aid received. Watch this short video on the Grad PLUS Loan.

If you are interested in borrowing a Grad PLUS loan, you can apply by going to the Direct PLUS application on StudentAid.gov.

You will apply for the amount of loan that you would like to borrow on the Graduate PLUS Loan Request form. If you are approved for the loan, through a credit check, the amount you are eligible for will be posted to your financial aid package.

Complete Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note 

If you are a first-time Direct Loan borrower at CSU Long Beach, you will need to complete two requirements online before your loan funds can be released: 

• Direct Loan Entrance Counseling
  • Entrance Counseling will explain your rights and responsibilities as a borrower and the MPN is an agreement by which you agree to repay the loan, including any interest and fees, to your lender.
  • You only need to complete Entrance Counseling the first time you borrow a Direct Loan at CSULB.
  • If you completed Entrance Counseling for a subsidized or unsubsidized Direct Loan, while at CSULB, you do not need to complete Entrance Counseling again.
• Master Promissory Note for a PLUS Loan (MPN)
  • A Master Promissory Note is valid for ten years, so you don't need to complete one each year you borrow
  • You might be asked to re-complete a Master Promissory Note if the system indicates that your MPN has expired.

When does repayment begin?

You will enter repayment any time you drop below half-time, whether that is due to graduation, withdrawal, or enrolling in less than half-time. You will have a 6-month grace period at the start of repayment; there are no payments required during the grace period and interest does not accrue on your loans. There are a variety of repayment options available for PLUS Loans. You can pay off your loan earlier without any penalty. You can use the Department of Education's Loan Simulator to see your repayment options.

What if my Grad PLUS Loan application is denied?

Assessment of your credit for a Graduate PLUS loan is completed by the US Dept. of Education.  CSULB has no say in the decision.  

If you do not pass the credit check for your PLUS loan, you have the following options below, but in all cases you must contact and work directly with the US Dept of Education:

The Federal Student Aid Information Center phone number is:  1-800-433-3243

• You may appeal the credit decision
• You may apply with a credit-worthy endorser.
  • This person will be responsible to repay the loan in the event you are unable to make payments
     

Parent PLUS Loans are loans offered by the Department of Education to help you pay for your student's education. Parent PLUS loans have a fixed interest rate and a variety of repayment options; you must not have an adverse credit history to borrow a Parent PLUS loan. 

Applying for the loan

Parent PLUS Loans are an option for parents of dependent students to help cover educational expenses. PLUS loans can be borrowed up to the cost of attendance, minus any other aid received. Watch this short video on the Parent PLUS loan.

If you are interested in borrowing a Parent PLUS loan, please apply by going to the Parent PLUS Loan Application on StudentAid.gov; step-by-step instructions are provided in the Parent PLUS Instructions (PDF).

You will apply for the amount of loan that you would like to borrow on the Parent PLUS Loan Request form. If you are approved for the loan, through a credit check, the amount you are eligible for will be posted to your student's financial aid package. If you are not approved for a PLUS loan, you still have options. You can review information about borrowing with an adverse credit history with this PLUS loan denial video playlist.

Complete Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note 

If you are a first-time PLUS Loan borrower at CSU Long Beach, you will need to complete the following requirements:

• Direct PLUS Loan Entrance Counseling
  • Entrance Counseling will explain your rights and responsibilities as a borrower and the MPN is an agreement by which you agree to repay the loan, including any interest and fees, to your lender.
  • You only need to complete Entrance Counseling the first time you borrow a PLUS Loan at CSULB.
• Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  • The MPN is an agreement by which you agree to repay the loan, including any interest and fees, to your lender.
  • A Master Promissory Note is valid for ten years, so you don't need to complete one each year you borrow
  • You might be asked to re-complete a Master Promissory Note if the system indicates that your MPN has expired.

NOTE:  Accepted Loans with missing Entrance Counseling and/or Promissory note will be automatically cancelled after the add / drop period.  However, students can request loans be reinstated by completing an Award Adjustment Request available on our forms page. 

Although not part of the initial PLUS Loan requirements, we strongly encourage students and parents applying for a PLUS Loan to complete the PLUS Credit Counseling. PLUS Credit Counseling helps borrowers understand the obligations associated with borrowing a PLUS loan and assist them in making careful decisions about taking on student loan debt.

PLUS Credit Counseling can be completed voluntarily at any time. If PLUS Credit Counseling is completed voluntarily and you are determined to have an adverse credit history by the U.S. Department of Education within 30 days of PLUS Credit Counseling completion, your PLUS Credit Counseling requirement will be considered to be fulfilled. PLUS Credit Counseling is required if the U.S. Department of Education has informed you that you have an adverse credit history and you have obtained an endorser or documented extenuating circumstances to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education

When does repayment begin?

You can request a deferment and then you will not need to make payments while your student is enrolled at least half-time and for an additional six months after your student graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. You would request deferment with your loan servicer. If you do not request a deferment from your loan servicer, you will be expected to begin making payments after the loan is fully disbursed. There are a variety of repayment options available for PLUS Loans. You can pay off your loan earlier without any penalty.

What if my Parent PLUS Loan application is denied?

Assessment of your credit for a Parent PLUS loan is completed by the US Dept. of Education.  CSULB has no say in the decision.  

If you do not pass the credit check for your PLUS loan, you have the following options below, but in all cases you must contact and work directly with the US Dept of Education:

The Federal Student Aid Information Center phone number is:  1-800-433-3243

• You may appeal the credit decision
• You may apply with a credit-worthy endorser.
  • This person will be responsible to repay the loan in the event you are unable to make payments
     

Loan Forgiveness

Loan forgiveness is the cancellation of all or some portion of your remaining federal student loan balance. If your loan is forgiven, you are no longer responsible for repaying that remaining portion of the loan. Student borrowers are encouraged to research all loan forgiveness and loan assumption programs prior to going into repayment. 

Resources may be federal, state, or private. Some non-profit employer programs and service organizations may, like the Peace Corps, Teach America, etc. may also assist with loan repayment.  The following list provides examples of some of the larger loan forgiveness programs.

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

Loan Discharge

Loan Discharge is the release of a borrower from the obligation to repay the loan borrowed.  

Additional information on federal student loan forgiveness, cancellation or discharge, is available on the Federal Student Aid website

There are a number of responsibilities – and rights – that go along with being a student loan borrower.

Student Loan Borrower Responsibilities:
When you accept a student loan, you agree to:

• Repay your loan, including accrued interest and fees, whether or not you complete your education, complete the program within the regular time frame, obtain employment or are satisfied with your education;
• Complete Exit Counseling before you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment;
• Notify the current holder of your loan within 10 days if you change your name, address or phone number, drop below half-time status, withdraw from school or transfer or change your graduation date;
• Direct all correspondence to the current holder or servicer of your loan;
• Make monthly payments on your loan after leaving school, unless you are granted a deferment or forbearance; and
• Notify the current holder of your loan of anything that might affect your eligibility for an existing deferment.

Student Loan Borrower Rights
As a student borrower, you have the right to:

• Receive a copy of your promissory note either before or at the time the loan is made;
• Receive a disclosure statement before repayment on your loan begins, including information about interest rates, fees, loan balance and the size and number of payments;
• A grace period after you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment and before your loan payments begins (if applicable);
• Prepay all or part of your loans without a prepayment penalty;
• Consolidate your loans, if applicable;
• Apply for loan forgiveness, if eligible;
• Receive written notice if your loan is sold to a new holder;
• Apply for deferment of your loan payments for certain specified periods, as long as you're eligible;
• Request forbearance from the holder of your loan if you are unable to make payments and do not qualify for deferment (you must qualify according to the loan holder's requirements);
• Loan cancellation under certain circumstances; and
• Receive proof when your loan is paid in full.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of August 14, 2008 includes provisions that campuses participating in Title IV programs publish a code of conduct which describes prohibited practices related to loan programs.

To avoid any conflict of interest in the area of student lending, all staff members of the CSULB Financial Aid Office adhere to the guidelines outlined in the CSU Code of Conduct. 

The CSU Code of Conduct prohibits the following:

• Revenue sharing arrangements with any lender.
• The solicitation or acceptance of gifts from a lender, guarantor or servicer by anyone with responsibilities with respect to loans at the institution.
• Receipt of any fees, payments or other financial benefits (including a stock purchase option) by anyone with responsibilities with respect to loans from a lender as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
• The assignment of a first-time borrower’s loan to a particular lender or refusing to certify or otherwise delay certification of any loan regardless of the lender or guaranty agency the borrower selects.
• The acceptance of any funds to be used for private education loans in exchange for the institution providing concessions to the private lender.
• Requesting or accepting assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing from any lender.
• Any employee with responsibilities with respect to financial assistance at the institution who serves on an advisory board or commission of a lender or guarantor may not accept anything of value from the lender or guarantor except reimbursement for the reasonable expenses of serving on the board or commission.