Federal Perkins Loan Repayment
On August 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education announced a final extension of the student loan payment pause until December 31 2022. Unfortunately, the Federal Perkins Loan does not qualify under this relief extension. For more information, please visit COVID-19 Emergency Relief and Federal Student Aid.
As of 2017, the Federal Perkins Loan program has been retired and no new Perkins loans are being awarded.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your current Perkins Loan, please contact our billing servicer, ECSI, directly by phone at 888-549-3274 or by live chat through their 'Contact Us' page to speak to a representative. For questions regarding other financial aid, including other Federal Direct loans, please refer to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
- Repayment of Perkins Loan
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Once you leave school, drop enrollment below half time status, or graduate, you have a grace period of nine months before you have to start paying back your Perkins Loan.
Heartland ECSI manages all Perkins accounts for The George Washington University. Their website offers web access to your Perkins Loan information as well as the tools to manage the loan online. Borrowers can use this site to view their current and past payment information, receive electronic billing notices, make a payment through a wide variety of payment methods, obtain important news, other information, and complete needed forms.
Once in repayment, Perkins Loans are eligible for deferment, forbearance and cancelation. Applications for these options are available on the Heartland ECSI website. Perkins Loans that go into default are subject to acceleration (entire balance becomes due at once), fees, collection costs, wage garnishment, and assignment to the Department of Education. Failure to pay will result in a hold on your account. This hold will remain until the balance has been resolved.
- Loan Rehabilitation Program
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Perkins loan borrowers are eligible for a one-time Loan Rehabilitation Program if their loan has fallen into default. This program allows students to enter into a 9-month repayment arrangement. Upon successful completion of 9 consecutive on-time monthly payments, all negative credit reporting is removed and the loan is no longer considered delinquent. After 6 months of payments, borrowers are eligible to have their past-due hold removed with GW. The Loan Rehabilitation plan can be set up with the collection agency currently in possession of the loan. The Loan Rehabilitation Program is available to borrowers one time over the life of the Perkins loan.
If your loan is currently in collections, please contact General Revenue Corporation at 1-888-710-6817 or visit their website at www.generalrevenue.com or Reliant Capital Solutions at 1-866-837-5096 or visit their website at www.reliantcapitalsolutions.com.
- Exit Loan Counseling
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Federal regulations require that institutions offer exit counseling to federal student loan borrowers who are graduating, withdrawing from the university, or dropping below half-time enrollment.
Exit counseling covers:
- Borrower's rights and responsibilities
- Loan repayment
- Consequences of default
During exit counseling, borrowers are also required to provide updated personal information, such as address, telephone number, and employment.
The exit interview is a Federal requirement and failure to complete it will result in the loss of university services, including access to your diploma. Please note that this requirement is separate from the exit interview that is online for your Direct Loans. For the Perkins loan exit interview process, you must contact ECSI at 1-888-549-3274 or visit their website.
- Helpful Links
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If you are already a Perkins loan recipient and have questions regarding your loan, please contact ECSI at 1-888-549-3274.
Locate your Federal Loans:
Telephone – Federal Student Information Center: 800-433-3243
Online – nslds.ed.gov
Learn more about loan consolidation or begin an application at studentaid.gov.