Perkins, Health Professions, University Loans
The federal Perkins and Health Professions loan programs at Ohio State are overseen by the University Collections division of the Office of the University Bursar in partnership with a specialized loan servicer, Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI). These loans are jointly funded by Ohio State and the federal government. This is different from most federal direct student loans, which are fully funded by the federal government and serviced by other loan servicers. You may have both federal direct loans and a Health Professions or Perkins loan.
University loans are administered by Ohio State to assist with temporary financial difficulty or extenuating circumstances.
About Federal Perkins and Health Professions Student Loans
The Federal Perkins Loan is a federally funded low-interest loan offered to undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need. In September of 2017, the federal government discontinued this loan program with final disbursements permitted through June 2018. Most Perkins loans are now in repayment.
The Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) is a similar federally funded, low-interest loan offered to professional school students pursuing careers in the medical, dental, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary, and nursing fields.
Resources
About University Loans
The Long-Term University Loan and Short-Term University Assistance programs are administered by Ohio State to assist with temporary financial difficulty or extenuating circumstances and are not intended to serve as a sustainable method of funding educational costs.
Resources
About ECSI
University Collections contracts with Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI)to generate monthly billing statements, process your loan payments, and provide customer service for your Perkins, Health Professions, and University Loans.
ECSI can assist you with making payments toward your loan, updating your contact information, promissory note and exit interview completion, payment postponement options (e.g., deferment or forbearance), eligibility for loan cancellation, and more.
ECSI offers phone support Monday through Friday from 7:30am - 9:00pm Eastern Time. 24/7 help is offered through the ECSI Chat Assistant.
Promissory Notes and Exit Interviews
A promissory note is the legal paperwork you must review and sign in order to obtain your loan. You must complete an exit interview when you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment; its purpose is to ensure you understand your student loan obligations and are prepared for repayment.
Completion of Perkins, Health Professions, and University Loan Promissory Note and Exit Interviews is managed through ECSI. Choose the appropriate button below to start the process. Note that these promissory notes and exit interviews are separate from those you may complete to obtain other types of federal student loans.
Failure to complete an exit interview for your ECSI managed loans may result in a hold being added to your student account that restricts your ability to view grades, obtain your diploma, or enroll in future classes.
Complete an ECSI promissory noteComplete an ECSI exit interview
How to Complete An ECSI Promissory Note or Exit Interview
All promissory notes and exit interview for Perkins, Health Professions, and Univeristy Loans managed by ECSI are signed electronically.
Promissory Notes
- Log into the "Complete an ECSI Promissory Note" portal above.
- Have available your Social Security Number, last name, date of birth, and PIN number provided in the email notification about signing the promissory note.
- Review the terms and conditions notice, then click "Get Started - Begin the Electronic Signature Process."
- Complete the promissory note.
Exit Interviews
- Log into the "Complete an ECSI Exit Interivew " portal above.
- Access your account using Ohio State's school code (59), your account number (Social Security Number), and password (PIN). If you do not have your PIN number, contact ECSI.
- Once logged in, navigate to "My Account Menu." Click on "My Account."
- Select the "Exit Interview" option and complete the document.
Note that loan repayment begins following a grace period. Ths is the period of time after you graduates or cease to be enrolled at least half-time and can range between 0-12 months, depending on the type of loan.
Make a Loan Payment
Pay Online
Make an online payment toward your Perkins, Health Professions, or university loan using using the ECSI web payment portal below. You may make an electronic check payment or use your debit or credit card.
Depending on the payment method and frequency you choose, ECSI may charge a fee to process your payment. Learn more about ECSI's processing fees.
pay perkins, health profession, or university loan
Important: this online web payment portal is for making a payment toward your Perkins, Health Professions, or university loan only. If you need to make a payment toward a different student loan, please contact the appropriate loan servicer. Learn how to identify your student loan servicer(s).
If you need to pay tuition and fees please visit the Pay Tuition and Fees page on this site.
Other Payment Options
Please consider paying online when feasible, as it is fast, convenient, and safe. If you are unable to remit payment this way, you may utilize one of the following options. For their safety and your peace of mind, ECSI cannot accept cash payments.
Mail a Payment to ECSI
Please make all checks payable to The Ohio State University and include your name and ECSI account number in the Memo line. Failure to include this information with your payment may result in processing delays.
Submit your personal check payment or money order for your Perkins, Health Profession, or University Loan to:
The Ohio State University
c/o ECSI
PO Box 1287
Moon Township, PA 15108
Make a Payment to ECSI by Phone
ECSI accepts one-time and recurring electronic check (ACH) and debit or credit card payments over the phone. Please call 888-549-3274, Monday to Friday, 7:30am - 9:00pm Eastern Time to make a payment.
Temporarily Stop or Reduce Loan Payment
If you are unable to make a full payment toward your Perkins, Health Professions, or long-term university loan loan each month, you may apply to temporarily stop or reduce the payment for a specific period of time. All of the following are free to apply for through ECSI; you should never pay anyone to process a deferment, forbearance, rehabilitation or consolidation on your behalf.
To request a deferment or forbearance, complete the appropriate form available on ECSI's website. To discuss rehabilitation and consolidation options, please contact University Collections at 614-292-1056, option 2 or email collections@osu.edu.
Short-Term University Assistance program loans do not qualify for these benefits and are due as noted. Additionally, Long-Term University Loans do not qualify for consolidation.
| Deferment | Forbearance | Rehabilitation | Consolidation | |
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What | Temporary payment postponement under specific conditions - e.g., in school; economic hardship; military | Temporary payment postponement at borrower's request | Temporary reduction in amount of loan payment for a set period (9 months) | Combine multiple student loans into one new, larger loan |
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Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Discharge
Forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge of your loan means that you are no longer required to repay some or all of your loan. Although these terms are each used to refer to the same outcome, the method by which they are achieved is different. Forgiveness and cancellation are generally used for situations where you are no longer required to pay some or all of you loan because of your job. Discharge is used for reasons other than your job (e.g., total and permanent disability).
To determine whether you may qualify for cancellation or discharge of your loan, please contact University Collections at 614-292-1056, option 2 or email collections@osu.edu.
Perkins and Nurse Faculty Loan Cancellation
Perkins and Nurse Faculty loan cancellation may be available to borrowers who have served in a qualifying position for a specified period of time. To learn more about whether you may qualify for this benefit, please visit Perkins Loan Cancellation and Discharge on the Federal Student Aid website and Nurse Faculty Loan Program on the Health Resources & Service Administration website.
Perkins and Nurse Faculty loan cancellation are different from Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and other types of loan cancellation. For more information about other types of student loan forgiveness, visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Discharge
Discharge of a Perkins, Health Profession or university loan may be available under specific conditions such as total and permanent disability or death of the borrower. Discharge as a result of bankruptcy is extremely rare.
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Related Resources
- Registration, Fees and Important Dates
- Buckeye Link
- Student Financial Aid
- My Buckeye Link Reference Guide
- Ohio Residency for Tuition
- University Housing
- Dining Services
- Student Health Insurance
- Student Legal Services
- The Graduate School
- Military and Veterans Services
- Office of International Affairs
- Admissions
- Office of Human Resources