How to Accept Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan and Graduate PLUS Loan Funds (Students)

1. Accept your Loans in Orion (Galaxy) – To accept, reduce, or decline a Federal Direct Stafford Loan that you have been offered:
   • Log into Galaxy
   • Click on “Orion Student Center”
   • Click on the “Financial Aid” tile
   • The default page will be the “Summary” page under the “Awards” menu
   • Make sure you are in the current academic year (see upper left-hand corner of page)
   • Click on the “Accept/Decline” menu item (2nd option under “Awards” menu, left column)
   • Click on the “Accept/Decline” button on the award offer page
     • Select “Accept”, “Decline”, or “Reduce” for each loan in the “Award Decision” column
       • If you want to reduce the amount of the loan, check the “Reduce” box next to the loan and you may enter the amount you want to borrow when you accept the loan. 
       • For students attending in both the fall and spring terms the amount of the loan offered is usually for both terms.
   • Click the “Submit” button. 
   • You will be asked to click “yes” to reaffirm your submission as accurate.
     • Note: Students cannot accept a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan through the process described above. If a parent chooses to borrow a Parent PLUS Loan, the loan will be accepted by the Office of Financial Aid after we receive a completed Parent PLUS Loan Request.
2. Complete Entrance Counseling – As a student borrower, you must complete entrance counseling before your Direct Loan funds can be credited to your account in the Bursar’s Office. Counseling will inform you of your rights and responsibilities as a borrower, the terms of your loan, and your repayment options. You can complete entrance counseling online.
3. Complete a Master Promissory Note – A Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which the borrower promises to repay the loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. You can complete an MPN online.

You can complete an MPN at any time. To sign a promissory note you will need a username and password called your FSA ID.

Note: A credit check will be performed during the application process of the Graduate PLUS Loan.

Direct PLUS Loan for Parent Borrowers (Parent PLUS Loan) Funds

If one or both parents wish to borrow a Parent PLUS Loan, each parent requesting a loan must complete the following steps:

• Complete a Direct PLUS Loan Request for Parent Borrowers (Parent PLUS Loan Request) – After a Parent PLUS Loan has been included in the student’s financial aid offer, the parent borrower must complete a Parent PLUS Loan Request.
  • Using their own FSA ID, the parent borrower signs in.
  • The parent borrower clicks the “Start” button, under the “Apply for a PLUS loan” heading.
    
    
• Parents may complete a Parent PLUS Loan request no earlier than July 1 of the upcoming academic year. For example, the Fall 2022/Spring 2023 Parent PLUS Loan Request will become available on July 1, 2022.
  • The Office of Financial Aid will accept the Parent PLUS Loan in Orion after a completed Parent PLUS Loan Request is received.

Note: The parent who wishes to borrow a Parent PLUS Loan must not have adverse credit history or must have an endorser (cosigner) who does not have adverse credit history. A parent who owes an overpayment on a federal grant or is in default on a federal loan is ineligible to borrow a Parent PLUS Loan unless satisfactory arrangements to repay the grant or loan are made.

• Complete a Master Promissory Note – A Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which the borrower promises to repay the loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. The parent can complete an MPN.
  
  Parents may complete an MPN at any time. To sign a promissory note the parent borrower must have their own FSA ID. The FSA ID can be created at online.