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Student Loan FAQs
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- What are prepayments?
- What are payments in advance? How are they different from prepayments?
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1. Where do I send my loan payment?
Loan payments for Perkins and university Loans should be sent to the address below:
Cornell University
C/O Educational Computer Systems, Inc.
181 Montour Run Road
Coraopolis, PA 15108-9408
Loan payments for Direct Stafford and PLUS Loans should be sent to the following address:
U.S. Department of Education
Direct Loan Payment Center
P.O. Box 746000
Atlanta, GA 30374-6000
 2. Where is my monthly billing statement?
ECSI sends a bill every month. The bill provides a payment stub and a return envelope for you to remit with your check. If you lose the payment stub, write your Cornell ID number on the check to assure proper credit. If you do not receive a bill, you are nonetheless obligated to make your payment as scheduled.
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3. My address has changed. Who must I notify?
You are required to notify all lenders whenever your address changes. Please update your address through ECSI  or send a request by email to uco-loans@cornell.edu  or by fax to (607) 255-6442, Attn.: Student Loan Office. If you have a Direct Stafford or Plus Loan, contact the Direct Loan Servicing Center at (800) 848-0979 or update online at www.dlssonline.com  .
4. What are prepayments?
Prepayments are accelerated repayments of the principal  of the loan, typically made to realize a savings on interest . There are no penalties for prepaying. If your loan is repaid in full before the expiration of its grace period , no interest is charged (except on certain university loans). Payments in excess of your regularly scheduled amounts are applied to the principal balance as prepayments. Unless the prepayment repays the loan in full, the next payment will be due the next month.
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5. What are payments in advance? How are they different from prepayments?
Payments in advance are payments made against future installments. They are applied to your account as if each were received on its due date. Payments in advance must be made in multiples of your normal monthly installment amount and must be accompanied by a letter from you specifying which payments are being made. If we do not receive specific instructions in writing from you to apply your payments as payments in advance, they will be treated as prepayments, and another payment will be due the next month.
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6. Am I eligible for deferment and how do I apply?
Deferment is a period when borrowers can stop making payments on their student loans, and interest will not accrue for Perkins and university loans. Eligibility for deferment differs for each loan type. Borrowers should review their loan documentation or contact their lenders to determine eligibility. Borrowers are responsible for checking with their University registrar's office to verify if they report enrollment status to the National Clearing House. If so, you do not need to complete a form. If not, you can print a deferment form here and have it verified at your university's registrar's office. Please feel free to contact the Student Loan office at (607) 255-7234 if you have any questions.
7. How do I consolidate my loans?
Consolidation allows you to combine all or some of your student loans into one loan. This may simplify repayment, because you can decrease the number of lenders, and you may be able to reduce your minimum monthly payment(s). Borrowers should contact consolidation companies to obtain information about the terms of their programs and to obtain a consolidation application. There are many agencies that will consolidate loans, however most limit consolidation to federal student loans. You can obtain information about a Direct Consolidation Loan by calling the Loan Consolidation Center at (800) 557-7392 or by visiting their Web site at www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov .
8. What should I do if I am having difficulty making my monthly
loan payment?
You should contact your lender(s) if you are having difficulty making your monthly loan payments. There may be deferment or forbearance benefits available that could temporarily postpone or reduce your monthly student loan payments. These benefits will require the completion of an application for deferment or forbearance.
9. Why can't I get my transcript?
University policy prohibits the release of any records, including academic and financial aid transcripts, of any borrower who defaults on a student loan that Cornell administers, or if the borrower has not completed the mandatory student loan exit interview .
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