Cerritos College Financial Aid Information
Cerritos College has a student Loan Default Management Plan (DMP). This Plan includes
the following procedures:
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Once a student receives a financial aid award
letter, the student may apply for a student loan
under the Federal Family Educational Loan
Program (FFELP). The student must
complete a loan application online at
www.cerritos.edu/finaid/loans.html. Once the
student successfully completes the application, an
electronic certification request will be sent to
Cerritos College.
New Borrowers: Your loan application must be
completed online.
Repeat Borrowers: If you have a previous
promissory note with Sallie Mae on their OpenNet
software system, you can download the Loan
Request Form to apply for a loan or it is available
at the Financial Aid Office. Once you have
completed the Loan Request form, please submit
it to the Financial Aid Office.
Students must maintain at least half-time
enrollment to receive the funds. Once you have
received your loan funds, you must maintain at
least half-time enrollment to avoid going into
repayment status. You must also maintain
progress toward your certificate or degree.
In reviewing a request for any loan, the Financial
Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC) may use
"professional judgment" to deny a student loan on
a case-by-case basis. If denied a loan, a student
will receive a letter from the Financial Aid Office
indicating the reason for the loan denial.
ONLINE LOAN COUNSELING
The federal government requires all new
borrowers to complete entrance loan counseling
prior to disbursement to review your rights and
responsibilities as a borrower. You can complete
the online entrance loan counseling at
www.cerritos.edu/finaid/loans.html and click on
Stafford Loan Guide.
If you have problems completing your online loan
application, please call United Student Aid Funds
Servicing Center at (866) 848-9315.
EXIT LOAN COUNSELING
Federal regulations require that students be
given exit loan counseling information at the
conclusion of their program at each school or
when they are no longer enrolled at least half-
time. Cerritos College students MUST complete
an exit loan counseling session before we can
release your 2nd disbursment. You can
complete the online Exit Counseling at
www.cerritos.edu/finaid/loans.html, and click
on the Student Loan Transition guide. Failure to
complete the session will delay payment of your
loan proceeds. Please check with the financial
aid office for available dates and times. If you
have problems conpleting your online loan
application, please call United Student Aid
Funds Servicing Center at (866) 848-9315.
CHOICE OF LENDER
When you take out a student loan, you are
borrowing money you will have to repay. Your
repayment period can last 10 years or more, so
you want to choose your lender carefully. If you
have borrowed in the past, it is best to continue
borrowing from the same lender. The first page
of this guide has a Lender List to assist you in
choosing a lender. These lenders are
committed to providing the highest level of
service to their borrowers. The interest rates,
repayment terms and other regulated loan
provisions are the same for each lender.
However, there are differences in use of
servicers (to manage loan accounts),
secondary markets (to purchase loans) and
repayment incentives (to save you money). For
specific information on service differences, you
may contact the lenders directly, or visit their
websites.
LOAN AMOUNTS
Students can apply for the Stafford
Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans ($3,500 or
$4,500). Loan amounts will be determined at
the time the Financial Aid Office cerifies a
student's loan application. NOTE: To be
eligible for $4,500, a student must have at
least 30 units completed and those units
MUST appear on the student's offical
transcripts at Cerritos College.