Mapping Your Future: Online Counseling
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Stafford Entrance Counseling

St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN


Welcome to the on-line Stafford Loan entrance counseling. The federal Stafford Loan program requires all first-time borrowers to complete entrance counseling before they can receive their loan funds.

As a first-time borrower, we want to assist you in understanding your loan options, enrollment requirements, loan indebtedness, and repayment information. Entrance loan counseling will provide you important information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a student borrower. After you complete your loan entrance counseling, the Financial Aid Office will be automatically notified.

You must maintain at least half-time enrollment to keep certain benefits of your loan. Half-time enrollment at St. Cloud State University is defined as six (6) credits per academic semester or summer term. 

It is important to contact the Records and Registration Office and Business Services Office if you decide to withdraw from a course or courses as it may affect your transcript or result in a financial obligation to the University.

Records and Registration Office
Administrative Services Office, Room 116
(320) 308-2111
www.stcloudstate.edu/registrar/

Business Services Office
Administrative Services Buildling, Room 123
(320) 308-4012
www.stcloudstate.edu/billing/ 

If at any time you have questions regarding your loans, please contact our office and one of our staff members will assist you.

Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Administrative Services Building, Room 106
720 Fourth Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56303
(320) 308-2047
1-877-654-7278
www.stcloudstate.edu/financialaid

Office hours:
8:00AM - 4:30PM CST (Monday and Wednesday-Friday)
8:15AM - 4:30PM CST (Tuesday)


 


Before you borrow a loan, it is important to consider how much your monthly payments will be when you begin repayment. The chart below lists the average loan indebtness (spring 2008 figures) for students graduating from St. Cloud State University. These amounts include both undergraduate and graduate borrowers.

Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized) $17,194
Perkins $  2,646
Other (MN SELF, private/alternative) $  9,845

When you complete your entrance counseling you will have an opportunity to review how much your monthly payments will be once you enter repayment. 

 
MYF Disclaimer:

The information above is wholly the product of the school represented herein. Mapping Your Future, and its individual sponsoring members, do not guarantee or warrant the correctness, completeness, accuracy, or any other characteristic of this content and shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or cause of action arising out of the content.


Stafford Entrance Counseling Session Instructions

Before You Start

  • Ensure you meet the browser and system requirements:
    • You must use at least Internet Explorer 6.0 or Mozilla Firefox 1.0. Get a browser now.
    • You can use any Internet service provider (ISP) to connect to the Internet; however, you should access this counseling session using one of the browsers above after you've connected. Do NOT use the ISP's browser, such as AOL or MSN--you won't be able to complete the student form at the end of the session!
    • You must enable JavaScript in your browser.

  • PARENTS: Please don't complete the counseling session on behalf of your son or daughter, as this federal requirement helps the student understand the rights and responsibilities of borrowing a student loan.

  • You will need about 25 minutes to complete this counseling session.

  • You will need the following information:
    • Your Social Security number
    • Your driver's license number

  • You might need the following information:
    • Name, address, telephone number, and employer for your spouse, if applicable
    • Names, addresses, telephone numbers, and employers for your next of kin and/or parent
    • Names, addresses, telephone numbers, and employers for two references residing at different addresses
    • NOTE: Providing names and information for your spouse, parent, next of kin, and references does not obligate them to assist with repayment of your loan. Regulations require you provide this data so your loan holder can locate you, if, in the future, they have an invalid address or phone number.

  • The student loan calculator in this session will help you calculate your estimated monthly payment. If you aren't sure how much you'll borrow, you can ask your school for the average student loan indebtedness of borrowers at the school or in your program of study at the school.

What to Do

  • Read the content and answer the questions.
  • Fill out the student information form. Use the comment box for any comments or questions you have for your school.
  • Print the confirmation page that appears after you fill out the student information form or note your confirmation number for your records.

NOTE: Generally, the Back and Forward buttons on your browser will not work once you begin the counseling session.  Use the buttons within the counseling to navigate.

NOTICE: The information you provide for loan counseling may be disclosed to third parties, such as your lender, lender servicer, school servicer, subsequent loan holder, or guarantor, as authorized under routine uses in the appropriate system of records and as may be authorized or required by federal regulations.