Repaying your Perkins Loan

Heartland ECSI - Your Loan Servicer
Puget Sound has partnered with Heartland ECSI (Educational Computer Systems  Inc.), to generate your monthly billing statements and process your loan repayments.

Login to Heartland ECSI's website by using your Heartland ECSI username and password.  If you have not created one yet, you will need to register and create a new profile.  

• Create your username, password and develop three security questions
• You need your Heartland Key, a unique key/identifier assigned to each borrowers account.  This is needed to pull in information from Heartland ECSI's system into the website. 
  • Forgot your Heartland Key?  Email customer service at borrower@ecsi.net or call 888-549-3274 to get the key reissued to you.
• Once you enter the Heartland Key, you will see all the account information necessary to complete exit loan counseling, access account information for repayment, etc. 

When do I begin repaying my loan?
You will begin repayment nine months after you graduate, leave school, or drop to less than half-time enrollment. You may choose to prepay the entire loan amount or a portion of it at any time without penalty.

How much will my payments be?
The interest rate on the Perkins Loan is 5%. Your monthly payment will depend on the total amount you borrowed and the length of your repayment period. The minimum payment amount is $40 per month. Since there is a maximum 10 year repayment period, your monthly payments may be higher depending on the total amount you borrowed. For help in estimating your monthly loan payment, you can use the student loan repayment calculator.

What if I am financially unable to make payments on my loan?
If your payment is due and you cannot make a payment, you should request a deferment or forbearance.

What happens if I default or become delinquent on my loan?

• Late fees and collection costs may be assessed.
• Credit bureaus are notified, which may affect employment or future financing opportunities.
• Your state and/or federal income taxes may be withheld.
• You may lose your eligibility for future title IV aid.
• You may lose any deferment or cancellation benefits that you may have been entitled to.
• Your account may be assigned to a collection agency for litigation and garnishment of wages.
• Your account may be assigned to the Department of Education for Federal withholding.

Can a defaulted loan be rehabilitated?
You may rehabilitate a defaulted loan by making on-time monthly payments. After you have made 12 consecutive monthly payments that are both reasonable and affordable, your defaulted loan will again be subject to the terms and conditions of your original promissory note and the default will be removed from your credit history. You can rehabilitate a defaulted loan only once.

What if I have a problem with my loan?
If during repayment you develop a problem with your student loan, you should first attempt to resolve any complaints by contacting ESCI. If you have made a reasonable effort to resolve the problem and it has not been successful, you may seek the assistance of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman of the Department of Education. The Ombudsman’s office is a resource for borrowers to use when other approaches to resolving student loan problems have failed.

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Borrower

As a Federal Perkins Loan borrower you have certain rights and responsibilities. For a detailed explanation of those rights and responsibilities please refer to your promissory note.