provided	by	those	companies	are	already	offered	free	of	charge	through	the	Department	or	the	borrower's	loan
servicer;
Provide	a	general	description	of	the	types	of	tax	benefits	that	may	be	available	to	borrowers	(i.e.	student	loan
interest	deduction);	and
Require	the	borrower	to	provide	current	information	concerning	their	name,	address,	Social	Security	number,
references,	and	driver9s	license	number	and	state	of	issuance,	as	well	as	the	borrower9s	expected	permanent
address,	the	address	of	their	next	of	kin,	and	the	name	and	address	of	the	borrower9s	expected	employer,	if	known
(see	also	<Providing	Borrower	Information	at	Separation=	below).
As	stated	above,	Direct	Loan	exit	counseling	must	provide	borrowers	with	the	information	the	Department	makes
available	in	accordance	with	section	485(d)	of	the	HEA.	This	section	of	the	law	requires	the	Department	to	make	available
to	postsecondary	schools	and	other	entities	a	wide	variety	of	information	about	federal	student	assistance	programs,
including	information	to	help	students	assess	the	debt	burden	and	repayment	obligations	that	will	be	incurred	as	a	result
of	receiving	Title	IV	loans.	As	noted	below	under	<Counseling	Methods,=	documentation	that	a	borrower	has	completed	the
Department9s	online	exit	counseling	fully	satisfies	all	Direct	Loan	exit	counseling	requirements.	Schools	that	choose	to
conduct	their	own	exit	counseling	can	meet	the	requirement	to	provide	borrowers	with	the	information	made	available	by
the	Department	in	accordance	with	section	485(d)	of	the	HEA	by	providing	borrowers	with	a	copy	of	the	Department9s
Direct	Loan	Exit	Counseling	Guide.
Providing	Borrower	Information	at	Separation
Schools	that	conduct	their	own	exit	counseling	must	provide	the	current	personal	information	collected	from	the	student
(name,	address,	references,	etc.)	to	students9	loan	servicers	within	60	days.	Students	authorize	their	school	to	release
information	to	servicers	in	the	loan	promissory	note	they	signed.	No	further	permission	is	needed.
Students	who	complete	online	exit	counseling	on	the	Department9s	
StudentAid.gov	website	fulfill	this	requirement	as	part
of	the	counseling	session;	NSLDS	provides	the	information	to	the	loan	holders.
Counseling	Methods
The	Department	offers	Direct	Loan	Program	online	entrance	and	exit	counseling	for	students	on	the	StudentAid.gov
website.	Your	school	will	receive	notification	through	the	Student	Aid	Internet	Gateway	(SAIG)	(see	<Required	Electronic
Processes=	in	Volume	2,	Chapter	3	for	more	information)	of	online	loan	counseling	completed	by	borrowers,	and
completion	information	can	also	be	viewed	on	the	COD	System	website.	If	your	school	documents	that	borrowers	have
completed	the	Department9s	online	counseling,	it	has	satisfied	its	counseling	responsibility.	Documentation	that	a
borrower	has	completed	the	Department9s	online	entrance	or	exit	counseling	fully	satisfies	all	Direct	Loan	entrance	or	exit
counseling	requirements.
Your	school	may	also	choose	to	provide	entrance	or	exit	counseling	through	an	in-person	session	or	(for	entrance
counseling)	by	providing	a	separate	written	form	to	the	student	that	the	student	signs	and	returns	to	the	school.	If	your
school	conducts	in-person	counseling	sessions,	charts,	handouts,	audiovisual	materials,	and	question-and-answer	sessions
can	help	convey	the	information	in	a	more	dynamic	manner.	We	also	recommend	the	use	of	written	tests	or	interactive
programs	to	ensure	that	students	understand	the	terms	and	conditions	of	their	loans.	Counseling	materials,	such	as	the
entrance	and	exit	counseling	guides,	are	available	in	the	Financial	Aid	Toolkit.
A	school	may	adopt	an	alternative	approach	for	entrance	counseling	as	a	part	of	its	quality	assurance	plan.	For	more
information,	see	the	regulation	cited	below.
Required	Content	for	Exit	Counseling
34	CFR	685.304(b)(4)
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