Entrance Requirements
Entrance Loan Counseling - Requirement
Welcome to Western University of Health Sciences. To be in compliance with Federal regulations, all Western University students who are planning on paying for their education through the Federal Stafford Loan program and Grad Plus Loan program must complete the Entrance Loan Counseling online. The purpose of the entrance interview is to provide the student with important information regarding their rights and responsibilities as a student borrower. This requirement also applies to students who have previously borrowed at another institution. Loan funds cannot be released until this requirement has been met.
The Entrance Loan counseling may be completed on line by clicking Direct Loan Entrance Counseling You will need to "Sign In" FIRST with your federal PIN number, then you will be on the Welcome to StudentLoans.gov page, you will then need to select "Complete Entrance Counseling" from the left hand menu. Read the list of What To Do, select Entrance Counseling, select Entrance Counseling for Graduate/Professional student, and then select school. The on line counseling session will take about 30 minutes to complete, you CAN NOT save or try to return to finish the entrance counseling at a later time, it MUST be completed in one step. Once you have successfully completed the counseling session please print a confirmation for your records, all exam results will be sent to financial aid electronically. The deadline to complete your Entrance Loan Counseling is June 30, 2013.
Perkins Entrance Loan Counseling - Requirement
If a student receives the Federal Perkins loan you will be required to complete the Perkins entrance counseling on line and a master promissory note. The student will be notified via their WesternU e-mail address from the servicer, Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI) with instructions for completing the entrance and the master promissory note requirements.
Please note: Perkins loans cannot be disbursed until all electronic documents (entrance counseling and the master promissory note) are accurately completed. Please have your FAFSA pin available as this information is required to complete the process.
Institutional Requirements
Scholarship For Disadvantaged Students - Requirement
All incoming students are required to complete the mandatory Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Survey. The purpose of the SDS survey is to help identify students that have come from an environment that has inhibited the student from obtaining the knowledge, skill and abilities required to enroll in a health professions school. Students must complete the survey through BanWeb by July 31, 2013. From the Ban Web Self Service menu click on Enter Secure Area and then log in. The SDS Survey will only take a few minutes to complete.
Meeting With A Counselor - Requirement
All entering students receiving any type of federally funded student aid for the first time at Western University will be required to meet with a Financial Aid Counselor. The time and the date will be announced via your WesternU email.
Credit - Grad Plus And Alternative Loans
Students applying for Grad Plus and Alternative Loans should know that lenders will check your credit worthiness each time you apply for a loan. We highly recommend that you obtain a current copy of your credit report and review it for the following:
- Incorrect credit information
- Delinquent payments - accounts currently 90 days or more delinquent
- Accounts sent to collections
- Bankruptcy (Chapters 7,11 or 12)
- County/State/Federal tax liens or judgments within last 5 years
- Repossessions within the last 5 years
- Unpaid (with a balance greater than zero) collection accounts and charge offs
Other items considered to be adverse conditions for a denied credit check
- Foreclosure proceedings started
- Foreclosure within the last 5 years
- Wage garnishment within last 5 years
- Lease or Contract terminated by default
Below are the web sites for three agencies that compile credit information. You can contact one or all three to request your most recent credit report:
NOTE: Students are required to reapply for financial aid every year if interested in receiving financial aid for each subsequent year.