Hobart and William Smith Colleges

ENTRANCE COUNSELING

Students who intend to borrow loans from a federal program, including Direct, and/or Grad PLUS (for graduate students only), must complete an online entrance counseling session before funds will be disbursed to their HWS account. Entrance counseling notifies you of your rights and responsibilities in borrowing through the federal loan program and describes your repayment requirements. Federal loans borrowed from the same program in a subsequent year at HWS will not require a new entrance counseling session. The Office of Financial Aid is notified electronically within 24-business hours of completion.

Direct Loan Entrance Counseling, for subsidized and/or unsubsidized loans, should be completed by the student borrower. 

Graduate PLUS Loan Entrance Counseling is completed by graduate students who have applied and been approved to borrow a Federal Grad PLUS Loan. 

EXIT COUNSELING

Federal regulations require students who have borrowed loans from a federal program to complete an exit counseling session when you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment (regardless if you plan to transfer to another school). Exit counseling provides important information you need to prepare to repay your federal student loan(s). The Office of Financial Aid is notified electronically within 24-business hours of completion.

Direct Loan Exit Counseling and Graduate PLUS Loan Exit Counseling must be completed online. 

Parents who are eligible to borrow and/or have borrowed a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan for their dependent undergraduate student are not required to complete entrance counseling or exit counseling.