Federal Perkins Student Loans

Your rights and responsibilities

The Perkins loan servicer is Heartland-ECSI. Heartland- ECSI has an excellent reputation for providing first class service for borrowers. 

Heartland-ECSI will send billings, process payments and provide full customer service on Perkins loans including forbearance, deferments, cancelations and tax forms.

Contact information for Heartland-ECSI:

• Telephone: 1-888-549-3274
• Website and live chat: https://heartland.ecsi.net
• Download the EasyPath mobile app from the iPhone app store or Android Marketplace
• Payment mailing address: PO Box 718, Wexford, PA 15090
• Correspondence mailing address: PO Box 1278, Wexford, PA 15090

Table of contents:

• Your responsibilities as a loan recipient
• Your rights as a loan recipient
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Conditions
• Deferments for Federal Perkins

Your responsibilities as a loan recipient

Change of name, address, telephone, social security number

You are responsible for keeping your lending institution and their billing agent informed of any changes in your name, address, telephone number or social security number. You are responsible to pay your loan, late fees and finance charges even though you may not get a bill  because of a bad address or name change.

Completion of deferment or cancellation forms

It is your responsibility to report your eligibility for deferment or cancellation on properly completed deferment or cancellation forms. These forms must be filed in a timely manner or your loan could go into default. Forms are available from your lender or their billing agency.

Repayment of your loan

• Your student loan is a serious obligation. Your total loan amount, plus the accrued interest on that amount, is repayable in installments according to the schedule agreed upon by your lending institution.
• If you are on a quarterly repayment plan, your first payment will be due three months after the end of your grace period. If you are on a monthly repayment plan, your first payment will be due one month after the expiration of your grace period. Maximum repayment for a Federal Perkins Loans is ten (10) years.
• You will be sent a billing statement for Federal Perkins.
• If you fail to receive a bill or notice for payment, you are still responsible for making your regularly scheduled payment. Notify your lending institution or their billing agent if you don’t receive payment information.
• If you are not able to make a scheduled payment, it is your responsibility to contact your lender or their billing servicer in a timely manner.
• Repayment is required even if you are displeased with your education, did not graduate or cannot find a job.

Default

• If you fail to make regular scheduled payments your loan will be considered in default. There are significant consequences if you fail to repay your loan as promised:
• The entire unpaid balance on your loan, plus accrued interest, and any applicable penalty cost, may become immediately due and payable.
• You may be declared ineligible for future student loans and other federal/state student assistance.
• Your loan will be reported to national credit bureaus as delinquent. This will affect your credit rating and may hinder future credit.
• Your account may be turned over to a professional debt collection agency.
• You will be responsible to pay all collection agency fees, legal fees and other charges incurred by your lending institution in the collection of your loan.
• You may be sued in court and your wages may be garnished.
• Your federal income tax refund may be seized to repay part or all of your debt.
• You may lose your rights to a deferment or cancellation.

Penalty Charges

Under the terms of your promissory note, your lending institution may assess late charges should you fail to make your payments on time or should you fail to file the necessary deferment or cancellation forms prior to their scheduled due date.

Credit Bureau Reporting

Your loan will be reported to a national credit bureau. Prompt payments will assist you when you plan to borrow money for a car, home or credit card. Delinquent payments will affect your ability to secure other loans.

Your rights as a loan recipient

Prepaying your loan

You may prepay your entire loan or any part of it at any time, without any penalty.

Loan Consolidation

Loan consolidation programs are available to enable you to consolidate loans received under the Federal Perkins Loan Programs.

You are eligible for loan consolidation if you: are in repayment or in the grace period preceding repayment; or if in a delinquent or default status, will re-enter repayment through loan consolidation. The interest rate for the consolidated loan will be the weighted average interest rate of those loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest one-eighth of one percent, not to exceed 8.25 percent. For more information, contact your lender or lending institution.

There are several factors to consider before choosing loan consolidation:

1. If you consolidate your loans, you may pay more interest for the life of the loan. For example, if you have $20,000 in Federal Stafford Loans and choose the normal 10-year repayment based on 6 percent interest, your monthly payment would be $222 for a total repayment of $26,645. If you choose to consolidate your loans with a 20-year repayment based on 4.13 percent interest, your monthly payment would be $123 for a total repayment of $29,417. You will ultimately pay $2,772 more in interest by choosing loan consolidation.
2. If you consolidate your Federal Perkins Loan or your Federal Stafford Loan, you will lose the option of loan cancellation in the future (i.e. teacher and nursing cancellation).
3. If you consolidate your Federal Perkins Loans and you are in a deferment status, you will lose your Federal Perkins interest subsidy.

Deferments and Cancellations

You may be eligible for a deferment of your loan or up to 100 percent cancellation (Federal Perkins Loan).

Federal Perkins Loan

Grace Period

Repayment of your student loan does not begin until nine (9) months after you have either graduated or ceased being at least a half-time student. During this grace period you are not required to make any payments and interest will not accrue on your loan.

Billing Servicer

The college’s billing servicer for the Federal Perkins Loan is:

For Online Borrower Services: https://heartland.ecsi.net

For Payments:
Heartland – ECSI
PO Box 718
Wexford, PA 15090

Your bills for your Federal Perkins will be sent to you quarterly (unless you request monthly billing) by ECSI. Checks should be made payable to the College of Saint Benedict and mailed to the address indicated on the bill.

Questions about bills and deferment/cancellation form requests can be directed to ECSI.

Forms for deferment and cancellation can be downloaded from the ECSI Web site.

Promissory Note

A copy of your Federal Perkins promissory note is available upon request at student accounts (320) 363-5387 or (800) 249-9840.

Deferments

Repayment of both the principal and interest on your student loan may be deferred (delayed) by submitting properly completed “Request for Deferment Forms.” The forms should be completed each term for student deferments and at the beginning and the end of each year for other deferments. You may request deferment forms from the college or from ECSI.

NSLDS

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is available to verify any federal loans you may have borrowed. This system records the amount(s) and the lenders(s) from whom you have borrowed Federal Title IV funds. To access the NSLDS system you need your FSA ID.  The Web address for NSLDS is:  https://nsldsfap.ed.gov/nslds_SA/

Partial Cancellation Benefits

All or part of a loan borrowed under the Federal Perkins Loan program may be canceled for certain types of public service. Although cancellation provisions vary, depending on whether you have a Defense, Direct or Federal Perkins Loan, the following rules apply to any loan:

• No portion of any loan may be canceled for prior services the borrower performed.
• You must apply for a cancellation by submitting to the lending institution both a written request and any appropriate documentation required by the institution.
• Repayments made when you would have qualified for cancellation are not refundable unless there is an institutional error.
• Teacher cancellation is based on the duties presented in an official position description, not on the position title.
• If you teach both adults and children you may qualify for a teacher cancellation only if the majority of students taught are children.

In order to receive any cancellation benefits, you must submit a properly completed a “Request for Partial Cancellation” form when entering such service (postponement), or upon receiving a bill (whichever comes first) and upon completion of each full year of service. After signing the form, you have your school principal, district official or commanding officer certify the form as required in the appropriate section.

Federal Ombudsman

If you have a dispute with the way your loan payments are being handled, you must contact your lender/servicer to resolve your complaint. If you and your lender/servicer cannot resolve your dispute, you will be referred on to the agency ombudsman, and if necessary, the federal ombudsman to resolve your dispute.

Federal Ombudsman Information

Internet: http://ombudsman.ed.gov

Toll free telephone: 1-877-557-2575

Mailing address:
US Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman
830 First Street, NE Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20202-5144

Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Conditions

NOTE: Percentage listed is the maximum percentage of the loan that can be canceled.

Cancellation Criteria Cancellation %

1. Full-time teaching in low-income school eligible for funding 100%
2. Full-time teacher of math, science, foreign languages, bi-lingual education or other as determined by state agency 100%
3. Full-time special education teacher, including teacher of infants, toddlers, children or youth with disabilities 100%
4. Full-time employment in a Head Start program 100%
5. Nurse or medical technician providing health care services 100%
6. Provider in a public or private nonprofit child or family service agency 100%
7. Professional provider of early intervention services 100%
8. Service in the U.S. Armed Forces 50%
9. Peace Corps or ACTION program volunteer 70%
10. Full-time law enforcement or correction officer 100%
11. Total and permanent disability or death of borrower 100%

Federal Perkins Cancellation Descriptions

Teaching: Full-time teacher in an elementary or secondary school determined by the federal government to have a high concentration of students from low-income families. The list of low-income schools eligible for Federal Perkins cancellation is on the Internet at
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/teacher

To qualify for cancellation benefits in this category, you must be employed as a full-time teacher for a complete academic year or its equivalent. For purposes of this category, a teacher is defined as a person who is devoted in providing classroom instruction or performing related duties in support of the education program.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year of teaching
20% for third and fourth year of teaching
30% for fifth year of teaching

Teaching (for loan borrowers after July 23, 1992): Full-time teacher of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education, or any other field of expertise that is determined by the state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year of teaching
20% for third and fourth year of teaching
30% for fifth year of teaching

Teaching Special Education (for loan borrowers after July 23, 1992): Full-time special education teacher, including teachers of infants, toddlers, children or youth with disabilities in a public or other nonprofit elementary or secondary school system.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year of teaching
20% for third and fourth year of teaching
30% for fifth year of teaching

Teaching in the Head Start Program: Employment as a teacher in the Head Start Program.  Cancellation rate is 15 percent per year until the entire loan is canceled.

Nurse or Medical Technician (for loan borrowers after July 23, 1992): Employment as a nurse or a medical technician, full-time, providing health care services.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year
20% for third and fourth year
30% for fifth year

Employment in a public or private nonprofit child or family service agency (for loan borrowers after July 23, 1992): Full-time employment in a public or private nonprofit child or family service agency who is providing, or supervising the provision of, services to high-risk children who are from low-income communities and the families of such children.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year
20% for third and fourth year
30% for fifth year

Provider of early intervention services in a public or nonprofit program (for loan borrowers after July 23, 1992): Full-time employment as a qualified professional provider of early intervention services in a public or other nonprofit program under public supervision by the lead agency as authorized in section 676(b)(9) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year
20% for third and fourth year
30% for fifth year

Military Service: Member of the United States Armed Forces, subsequent to receiving your loan. Eligibility is limited to those who are serving in an area of hostility and receiving special pay under Section 310 of Title 37, United States Code. You may cancel at the annual rate of 12 percent for a maximum of four (4) years. Cancellations are granted upon completion of 12 consecutive months of service.

Peace Corps or VISTA Service: 15 percent of the total principal amount of the loan, plus interest on the unpaid balance, will be canceled for the first and second 12-month period of volunteer service; 20 percent of the total principal amount of the loan, plus interest on the unpaid balance, will be canceled for the third and fourth 12-month period of volunteer service.

Law Enforcement or Corrections Officer (for loan borrowers after November 20, 1990): Full-time law enforcement or corrections officer for an eligible employing agency. An eligible employing agency is an agency: 1) that is local, State or Federal law enforcement or corrections agency; 2) that is public-funded; and the principal activities of which pertain to crime prevention, control, or reduction or the enforcement of the criminal law.

Agencies that are primarily responsible for enforcement of civil, regulatory, or administrative laws are ineligible employing agencies.

A borrower qualifies for cancellation under this section only if the borrower is:

1) a sworn law enforcement or corrections officer; or 2) a person whose principal responsibilities are unique to the criminal justice system. To qualify for cancellation under this section, the borrower’s service must be essential in the performance of the eligible employing agency’s primary mission. The agency must be able to document the employee’s functions. A borrower whose principal official responsibilities are administrative or supportive does not qualify for cancellation under this section.

Cancellation rates:
15% for first and second year
20% for third and fourth year
30% for fifth year

Death or Disability: In case of death, your loan will be canceled on the basis of a death certificate or other evidence that is conclusive under state law.

If you become permanently or totally disabled, the loan will be canceled based on medical evidence supplied by you or your representative. Permanent and total disability is the inability to work and earn money or to attend an institution because of an impairment that is expected to continue indefinitely or result in death.

A new military deferment has been added for all Perkins borrowers with loans after July 1, 2001.  This allows you to defer payment of principal and interest under these conditions: for a period not to exceed three years during which I am serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency, or performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency.

Deferments for Federal Perkins

Student Deferment

• While enrolled at least half-time at a participating school.
• While enrolled full-time at an institution of higher education or a vocational school that is operated by an agency of the United States government (e.g., the service academies).
• While enrolled in an eligible graduate fellowship program excluding a medical internship or residency program.
• While enrolled in an eligible rehabilitation training program for disabled individuals.

Graduate Fellowship

Study in an eligible graduate fellowship program, including study outside the United States.

Rehabilitation Training

Study in an approved rehabilitation program for the disabled.

Economic Hardship

The borrower must reapply every 12 months and give the lender documentation that he or she either:

• received a hardship deferment on a Federal Direct Student Loan for the same loan period;
• is receiving federal or state public assistance, such as TANF, SSI or food stamps;
• is working full-time and has a gross income that does not exceed the minimum wage or poverty line for a family of two, whichever is greater;
• is working full-time, and has a federal educational debt of at least 20 percent of adjusted gross income, and the difference between gross income and debt burden is less than 220 percent of the greater of the annual income of a borrower earning the minimum wage or the federal poverty line for a family of two;
• is not working full-time, and has a total monthly income that does not exceed twice the minimum wage or poverty level for a family of two, whichever is greater, and after subtracting payments on federal student loans, remaining income is less than the minimum wage or poverty level, whichever is more;
• is serving as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. Eligibility is for the lesser of the full term of service or the borrower’s remaining period of economic hardship deferment eligibility under the three-year maximum.

Unemployment

Deferment is granted for up to six months at a time. The borrower must be conscientiously seeking but unable to obtain full-time employment, and must register with a public or private employment agency. Documentation required: proof that the borrower is receiving unemployment benefits or proof that the borrower is registered with an agency and this agency is working toward finding the borrower full-time employment.

Questions?

For Federal Perkins Loan questions and to request Federal Perkins deferment/cancellation forms, contact:

Michelle Hemmesch
Director of Student Accounts
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
2850 Abbey Plaza
PO Box 5000
Collegeville, MN 56321-5000
320-363-2565

For Online Borrower Services: https://heartland.ecsi.net
Telephone: 1-888-549-3274

For general questions regarding Federal Stafford Loans or SELF Loans, contact:

Financial Aid Offices

College of Saint Benedict
37 S. College Avenue
Academic Services Building 103
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5388

Saint John’s University
2850 Abbey Plaza
Quad 154
Collegeville, MN 56321
320-363-3664

[email protected]

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• General Policies
• Deposits and Withdrawal Information
• Federal Perkins Student Loans
• Finance Charges
• Health Insurance
• Secure Site information
• Your Billing Rights