Office of Career Advancement
The OCA supports students and alumni seeking to develop rewarding professional careers.
Why Harvard Kennedy School?
Find out why Harvard Kennedy School provides a unique experience and education.
Home > Degree Programs > Student Financial Services > Student Loans > Student Loan Exit Counseling
Student Loan Exit Counseling
Student loan exit counseling is a federally-mandated requirement for all students who borrowed loans while in attendance at HKS. As federal regulations make exit counseling mandatory, students who do not complete the requirements cannot walk at Commencement and diplomas will be withheld until this requirement is met. We urge all borrowers to complete this requirement as soon as possible. Upon completion we will notify the Office of the Registrar that the student has satisfied this requirement. The deadline to complete the Student Loan Exit Counseling Certification is May 20th.
Student loan exit counseling is part of a series of financial health presentations that the HKS has offered this year. In addition to the student exit sessions we also want to strongly encourage you to attend our upcoming Financial Health Resources series sessions.
Exit Counseling Sessions
HKS has scheduled four exit counseling sessions for domestic students:
| Day | Time | Location |
| Friday, April 4th | 3:30PM | L-130/Bolton |
| Thursday, April 17th | 4:00PM | L-130/Bolton |
| Monday, May 5th | 5:00PM | Starr |
| TBA | TBA | TBA |
HKS has scheduled three exit counseling sessions for international students who borrowed loans under Citibank:
| Day | Time | Location |
| Monday, May 5th | 3:30PM | Land Hall |
| Wednesday, May 7th | 2:30PM | Land Hall |
| Monday, May 12th | 2:30PM | L-130 |
While attendance at these sessions is not mandatory, they represent the student's opportunity to get more details regarding repayment, loan consolidation, the loan repayment assistance program, and will offer the chance to have any questions answered. All borrowers—regardless of attendance at one of the above sessions—must complete the online Student Loan Exit Counseling Certification. Links on this site will direct the user to complete Stafford, Perkins, and private loan exit certification as appropriate.
If, after attending the exist counseling session, the student still has questions, they can make an individual appointment with their financial aid counselor after May 18th. However, students should make every effort to attend one of these group sessions. If the student cannot attend the group sessions, they should thoroughly review all materials on this website to ensure so that their individual meeting can be as productive as possible and not cover information already addressed in the materials provided.
Loan Repayment Comparisons
When considering the best option for repaying loans, student need to decide what are the most important factors:
- Lowest Monthly Payment?
- Lowest Total Cost of Borrowing?
- Convenience?
- Availability of Income contingent repayment?
Answers to these questions will determine what loan repayment options are best suited for the student.
Lowest Monthly Payment
In general, students will minimize monthly payments by taking the longest possible repayment plan with an on-time repayment incentive that is earned in the shortest period of time.
Lowest Total Cost of Borrowing
The lowest total cost of borrowing will be a plan with the shortest repayment period and the shortest period of time for earning an on-time repayment incentive.
Convenience
The most convenient option is to have one lender hold all loans. If the student has borrowed a Citibank Harvard HELP loan, the most convenient option would be to have Citibank buy the other loans. Please note: this may not be the least expensive option.
Income Contingent Repayment Plan
The income contingent repayment plan is only offered by loans owned by the Department of Education through their Direct Lending program (private lenders such as Citibank offer a less flexible version of this called the income sensitive repayment plan). If the student has a modest salary for a substantial period of time, it may be appropriate for them to choose a plan that will base the amount of the payments on the amount of their AGI.
print
email