Student Financial Services

Leaving Brown & Exit Counseling

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Leaving Brown & Exit Counseling

Whether you are graduating, dropping below half-time, or taking a leave, all loan borrowers are required to complete loan exit counseling. Exit counseling must be completed now, even if you plan to return to Brown to continue as a graduate or medical student or enroll at another school.

Taking a Leave

If you are taking a leave, you must complete exit counseling requirements. In addition, we strongly encourage you to contact Student Financial Services with questions, and review Brown's Curricular Resource Center's Pre-Leave Checklist and Returning from Leave information. If your leave of absence is longer than your loan's grace period, you will need to prepare for loan repayment (see more below).

Required Exit Counseling

Step 1

Visit Banner Self Service to view all of your exit counseling requirements. Select the CURRENT Aid Year; then look for Unsatisfied Requirements.

Banner Self Service

Step 2

Complete ONLINE exit counseling for each type of loan you borrowed. Banner Self Service will list your requirements.

Direct Loan Exit Counseling

For borrowers of Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Graduate/Professional PLUS Loans

  • Go to EXIT Counseling at StudentAid.gov, login using your FSA ID (same login used to complete the FAFSA), and complete the Exit Counseling.
  • The budget and expenses info you will enter is just an estimate and for informational purposes only.

Perkins or Brown Institutional Loan Programs Exit Counseling

  • Go to ECSI (this is also where you will manage and repay your institutional loans)
  • Use our Cheat Sheet to help you register and connect your account. Use the ECSI KEY that was emailed to you from Student Financial Services.
  • Go to the Documents tab, and complete all Exit Counseling.

Learn About Loan Repayment

Grace Period

Your loans will enter a grace period - a period of time when payments are not required. This will give you a few months to learn about your loans, determine your income & expenses, and develop a  loan repayment strategy. 

Return to School

If you later return to school (at least half-time, in a degree granting program), you must notify each of your loan servicers. Your loan servicers will help you determine whether you've used all of your original grace period. You may be eligible to place your loans back into an in-school status or into an in-school deferment. You may be required to submit a completed deferment request to your servicer.