Responsible Borrowing

If you have borrowed more than $15,500 as a dependent student or $28,000 as an independent student in Federal Direct Loans you will need to complete a Responsible Borrowing Session each year you continue to borrow from the Federal Direct Loan program.

We will notify you through your Hawkeye email and Self-Service > Financial Aid if you need to complete a Responsible Borrowing Session.

In this session you will complete exercises that will help you keep your student loan borrowing to a minimum, as well as the tools to locate your Loan Servicer information and total loan debt.

To complete your Responsible Borrowing Session you must:

1. Watch the following short videos:

   1. Your Guide to Student Repayment Plans: Learn about loan repayment options, selecting a repayment plan, and the role of loan servicers.

   2. Responsible Borrowing: Learn about responsible borrowing, loan repayment, and carefully weighing the costs of college and potential income after graduation.

2. Complete the appropriate Borrowing Worksheet:

   • If borrowing for Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and/or Summer 2025 complete the 2024–2025 Responsible Borrowing Worksheet [pdf]

3. Return your completed worksheet along with additional printouts requested during the session to the Financial Aid office.