Support for Cougs in Health Professions Careers
Students at WSU in Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine careers, as well as Nursing careers, with financial need, can qualify for low interest health profession loans to help support them in their education.
More specifically, what are Health Professions Student Loans?
The Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) is a low-interest, long-term federal loan. It is a need-based award available to eligible undergraduate and graduate students in the health professions to help pay for their cost of education. HPSL is made possible by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (not the Department of Education) and Washington State University is responsible for administering the loan program. Students repay the loan directly Heartland ECSI as they are the servicer that helps the Bursars office with the loans.
Health Professions Student Loans are need-based aid. Eligibility is based on financial need as determined by federal guidelines.
Pharmacy and Veterinary medicine
At WSU, low-interest health professions loans may be offered to qualifying students with exceptional financial need.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, you must have completed your FAFSA on or before the WSU priority deadline and must be enrolled full-time in a program of study leading to a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) or doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) degree.
WSU is required to collect your parents’ financial information regardless of your age, tax, marital or independent status. Your parents’ financial information is required to make the best possible financial need estimate.
- Enrollment as a full time student.
- U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or eligible noncitizen status.
- Satisfactory academic progress (as determined by SFS).
- No unresolved defaults or overpayments owed on Title IV educational loans and grants.
- Satisfaction of all Selective Service Act requirements.
- Both eligibility and loan awards are determined each academic year. Students may reapply annually.
How Much Can I Borrow?
The HPSL allocation is limited. The annual award amount will vary each year based on available funding and the number of applicants demonstrating need.
What is the Interest Rate?
The interest rate is computed at the rate of 5% and will not accrue while in school as long as maintaining at least half time enrollment.
Nursing
At WSU, low interest nursing loans may be offered to qualifying students with exceptional financial need.
ELIGIBILITY
You must complete your FAFSA on or before the WSU priority deadline and must be enrolled full-time in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate or graduate degree in Nursing. These funds are limited in quantity, and the maximum annual award amount per qualified student varies from year to year depending on the total available funding. Students must be enrolled at least half-time. This loan is administered through WSU, provides low-interest loans for nursing students.
LOAN AMOUNTS AND REPAYMENT
This loan is administered through WSU. The maximum annual award amount per qualified student varies from year to year, depending on the total available funding.
Students have a 9-month grace period once dropping below half-time, or graduating before having to begin repayment. The interest rate is 5% fixed, does not accrue until entering repayment, and there are no loan origination fees.
Guidance about HPSL eligibility can be found here.
How to accept a Nursing, or Health Professions Student Loan
- Sign in to myWSU
- Click on “My Student Center” in the middle of the screen
- Click on “View Financial Aid” under finances
- Choose the appropriate aid year
- Click on Accept/Decline Awards
- Select the loans you wish to accept (or click ‘Accept All’)
- Enter the amount you wish to accept
- Click submit, and then click yes to accept
Within 3 business days, you will receive an email from Heartland ECSI, an independent vendor who processes loans for WSU. Watch for this email and keep it from ending up in your Spam/Junk folders!
Complete the master promissory note (MPN)
Next, you will need to complete a promissory note every year when you accept a Perkins loan, nursing loan, or health professions loan.
- Go to heartlandecsi.com (a direct link can be found in your email)
- Click the “Get Started” box at the bottom of the page
- Enter your Social Security Number (SSN), Last Name, First Name, & Date of Birth
- Authenticate yourself by clicking the link that says “Authenticate Me”
- Once you have been authenticated, electronically sign your MPN, carefully read your Entrance Counseling Rights and Responsibilities, take the 10-Question Quiz, and complete the Reference Sheet. You will receive an on screen confirmation when this has been done successfully.
- Your loan funds should deliver electronically to your student account within 5 business days
You will need to complete entrance counseling, which is offered by Heartland ESCI along with the promissory note, before your loan can disburse.
Need help with the promissory note or entrance counseling?
Contact Heartland ECSI’s Loan Servicing Department.
ECSI Borrowing
1-888-549-3274
WSU’s school code: 8A
Account number: Your SSN
Important notice: If you received an error trying to complete your documents online, you will need to complete and submit a paper version of the MPN and Entrance Counseling. (The Bursars Office will need ALL original pages with your signature and date.) For information on submitting paper forms, contact the Bursar’s Office.