How to Accept Federal Direct Loans, FWS & Grants

Accepting Your Federal Direct Loans, Federal TEACH Grant, and Federal Work-Study

You can find a link to accept your aid in the myTC Portal, along with directions and any additional requirements. You will need to take specific steps to accept your Federal Unsubsidized Loan, Federal TEACH Grant, and Federal Work-Study. We strongly encourage you to accept your loans two to three weeks before classes begin.

Note: Some of your financial aid will be accepted automatically on your behalf when classes begin, including scholarships and stipends.

Accepting the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

We encourage you to accept the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan before applying for the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. This loan does not require a credit check for approval, and it offers a lower interest rate and loan fee.

  1. Log into your myTC Portal using your University Network Identification (UNI)
  2. Click on the "Student Resources" tab, scroll down, and select "Financial Aid Awards" on the left-hand side
  3. Select your academic year of enrollment from the drop-down menu, and select “Submit." Then, view the "Accept Award Offer" tab.

You may choose to accept or decline the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan on the dropdown menu. Select "Accept" and then select the "Submit Decision" button to accept the full loan offer. If you plan to accept a partial amount of the loan, manually enter the desired amount in the corresponding text box and choose "Accept." 

Note: The accepted amount is for the academic year and will be split evenly between the terms listed. If you want to make any changes to your loan, you must contact us in the Office of Financial Aid.

After you have accepted the desired loan amount, you must complete the required Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov by following these instructions:

  1. Select “Loans and Grants” in the top navigation bar
  2. Select “Loan Entrance Counseling” from the menu
  3. Choose “I’m a Graduate/Professional student” login option
  4. When you complete the session, be sure to enter TC's School Code (G03979).

You will complete only one Entrance Counseling session for both the Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans. Once you complete Entrance Counseling for a loan to be used at Teachers College, you do not need to repeat Entrance Counseling for future years of study at TC.

After you complete Entrance Counseling, you must sign the required Master Promissory Note (MPN) for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan at studentaid.gov by following these instructions:

  1. Select “Loans and Grants” in the top navigation bar
  2. Select “Master Promissory Note (MPN)” from the menu
  3. Choose “I’m a Graduate/Professional student” login option
  4. Select “MPN for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans"
  5. When you complete the session, be sure to enter TC's School Code (G03979). 

Once you complete this requirement, your MPN will be valid for up to ten years. 

Note: If you used federal loans at TC within the last 10 years, you may skip this step. Your requirement will be linked automatically after you accept your loan offer in the corresponding aid year.

You should allow 5-10 business days for your loan requirements to be marked as completed in the myTC Portal. Please keep in mind that you will see your loan requirements in the TC Portal only after you have accepted your loan offer.

Accepting the Federal TEACH Grant

You may accept or decline a Federal TEACH Grant in the myTC Portal. Note that you will be offered the maximum amount and funds will be disbursed on the first day of classes each term, but the funds will be prorated if your level of enrollment drops.

After accepting your TEACH Grant in your myTC portal, you must complete the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling requirement at studentaid.gov by following these instructions:

  1. Select “Loans and Grants” in the top navigation bar
  2. Select “TEACH Grants”
  3. Select “TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling”
  4. When you complete the session, be sure to enter TC’s School Code (G03979).

Note: This requirement must be completed each academic year you accept this award.

After accepting your TEACH Grant in your myTC portal and completing the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling requirement, you must complete the TEACH Grant Agreement at studentaid.gov by following these instructions:

  1. Select “Loans and Grants” in the top navigation bar
  2. Select “TEACH Grants”
  3. Select “TEACH Grant Agreement”
  4. When you complete the session, be sure to enter TC’s School Code (G03979).

Note: This requirement must be completed each academic year you accept this award.

If you accept or decline the TEACH Grant in the portal and have changed your mind, you should contact us in the Office of Financial Aid within two weeks of being notified about the grant, or before the start of classes. You can accept or decline the grant without affecting any of your other aid.

Accepting Federal Work-Study

You may accept your Federal Work-Study (FWS) funding in the MyTC portal, in the “Award Offer” section of the Financial Aid tab. Here, you will be able to view your FWS information, accept the terms and conditions of the funding, and accept or decline the FWS award offer. Please note that when you accept FWS aid in the MyTC Portal, you have not secured a job on campus. You will still need to go through the application and hiring process. Please learn more about FWS, and review available positions on the TC Human Resources website.

Returning Federal Loan Funds

You may cancel all or part of your federal loan(s) by submitting a Federal Loan Change Form for the appropriate aid year to the Office of Financial Aid within 45 days from the date of disbursement. If you have already received a refund, then you may be required to return the funds to the Office of the Bursar.

Loan Refund Checks

If you are anticipating a refund credit, the amount that you are due will be provided within 14 days of disbursement. Please contact the Office of the Bursar with any questions you have about refund checks.

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