General Information
Accepting Your Aid
- Spring 2013 Admits: Complete the following steps on or after December 1st, 2012.
- Summer 2013 Admits: Complete the following steps on or after April 1st, 2013.
- Fall 2013 Admits: Complete the following steps on or after July 16, 2013. Please do not try to accept your aid at this time; we are upgrading the TC Portal. It is still very early in the 2013-2014 aid year process.
In order to ensure a timely disbursement before the billing due date, please complete these requirements at least two to three weeks prior to the start of classes. Federal student loans will disburse in two equal halves in the given term(s). The first disbursement occurs after the start of classes in the fall. The second disbursement occurs after the start of classes in the spring. If you are a single-term student, your aid will disburse at the beginning of the semester and again in the middle of the semester. Summer students will also see two disbursements during the summer term(s). Scholarships will also disburse in two halves, unless a Scholarship Redistribution Form is filed to change the award portions.
The 2012-2013 academic year includes the Fall 2012, Spring 2013 and Summer 2013 terms.
**You can only accept the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan in the TC Portal; you cannot accept the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan in the TC Portal because it requires an approved credit check that will be completed at www.studentloans.gov.**
Accepting the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan:
***Step 1: Accept the desired amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan in the TC Portal.
1a: Log into your TC Portal at www.my.tc.edu. You will need your University Network Identification number (UNI) and password to enter this system. If you are a newly admitted student, you cannot access the TC Portal until you submit your $300 tuition deposit. Once received, you will be given your UNI.
1b: Click on the "Courses" tab. Scroll down to "Financial Aid Awards."
1c: Once you are on the "Financial Aid Awards" screen, you will need to:
- Select the appropriate aid year from the drop down menu and click “Submit.”
- Select the "Accept Award Offer" tab. You have three options:
- You can choose to decline the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.
- You can accept the full award by selecting "Accept Full Amount of All Awards.”
- You can choose to accept a partial amount of the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan by selecting "Accept" and keying in the amount you wish to accept in the "Accept Partial Amount" box.
***Step 2: Complete Loan Entrance Counseling at www.studentloans.gov.
2a. Only one Loan Entrance Counseling session is required for both the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. The requirement will renew itself from year to year and does not need to be done more than once. Please ensure that the Teachers College Federal School Code (G03979) is included when you complete Loan Entrance Counseling.
***Step 3: Complete the Stafford Electronic Master Promissory Note (E-MPN) at www.studentloans.gov.
3a. First-time Stafford Loan borrowers at Teachers College will need to complete a Federal Stafford E-MPN at www.studentloans.gov. Once completed/satisfied, this requirement will renew itself for up to ten years. Please ensure that the Teachers College Federal School Code (G03979) is included when you complete your Stafford E-MPN.
Applying for the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan:
IMPORTANT: If you have been offered the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, you are required to accept it BEFORE you begin the process for the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan.
***Step 1: Complete the Graduate PLUS Electronic Master Promissory Note (E-MPN) at www.studentloans.gov.
1a. First-time Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers at Teachers College will need to complete a Federal Graduate PLUS E-MPN at www.studentloans.gov. Once completed/satisfied, this requirement will renew itself for up to ten years. Please ensure that the Teachers College Federal School Code (G03979) is included when you complete your PLUS E-MPN.
***Step 2: Complete the Graduate PLUS Loan Request/Credit Check at www.studentloans.gov.
2a: Log in to www.studentloans.gov. Once you have logged into the system, click on the "Request Direct PLUS Loan" link (in the left column) under the “PLUS Loan Process” heading.
2b. On the next page, select "Graduate PLUS" as the loan type. You should indicate the exact amount you wish to borrow. You may also choose to borrow the maximum amount of Graduate PLUS Loan by clicking the button next to the statement, “I want to borrow the maximum Direct PLUS Loan amount for which I am eligible, as determined by the school.”
There are four steps you must complete here. At the end of this process, you will receive a credit decision. You must be "Credit Approved" before we can process your Graduate PLUS Loan request. Additionally, the credit check is required for every new academic year AND for any changes to the PLUS Loan amount during a given academic year if the credit check is expired at that time. The PLUS Loan credit check expires after 90 days. If you are denied the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, please visit the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan page on our website for detailed instructions on how to proceed.
2c. Once you have completed the steps above for your PLUS Loan, the Office of Financial Aid will receive your credit decision within three to five business days from the US Department of Education. If approved, your Graduate PLUS Loan status will change from "Offered" to "Accepted." If you are denied, the status will change to "Deny." The loan status will be changed by the Office of Financial Aid.
NOTE: If you need to make changes to your Graduate PLUS Loan amount, you will need to complete the 2012-2013 Loan and Work Study Change Form. The form is available online or in our office. If your credit check has expired, you will need to restart the Graduate PLUS Loan process by following Steps 2a-2c.
Accepting your Federal Work-Study Funds:
If you have Federal Work-Study (FWS) funding in an "Offered" status on your TC Portal, you cannot access those funds until you receive a FWS position. The three outstanding/unsatisfied FWS requirements you may see on your Portal will not affect the disbursement of any other aid; you are able to let them remain outstanding/unsatisfied until you secure a position. Please visit the TC Human Resources page to view available positions.Once you are hired, you will come to our office to acquire the paperwork, tax forms, and time sheets necessary to commence employment. When we receive your completed documents, the FWS requirements will become satisfied and your FWS funds will go into an "Accepted" status.
Accepting your Scholarships/Grants/Stipends/Fellowships:
Scholarship awards are automatically accepted. If you would like to change the distribution of scholarship point(s) for the given terms within an academic year only, you will need to submit the 2012-2013 Scholarship Redistribution Form. It is available online or in our office.