The Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) is a low-interest subsidized loan limited to Optometry graduate students at the UC Berkeley campus. To be considered for the HPSL Loan, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Students must include parent information on their FAFSA, regardless of their independent status for all other programs.
HPSL Loans are not automatically renewed every year. If you receive an HPSL Loan for one year, you must complete the FAFSA each subsequent year and include parent information to be considered again for the HPSL Loan.
The loan servicer Heartland ECSI manages HPSL Loans from UC Berkeley. Annual funds for HPSL are limited and dependent on collections from previous borrowers. Due to limited funding, completing requirements by the priority deadline of June 30 is essential, as funding may be exhausted if you satisfy requirements after the priority deadline.
Students typically receive around $10,000 in the HPSL Loan per academic year. Annual loan amounts can vary and are determined yearly based on fund availability.
Please note that HPSL is not a Title IV program. It is a program offered through Health Resources and Services Administration. The HPSL Loan does not appear on National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
Applying for an HPSL Loan
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To receive the HPSL Loan on time, students are requested to file their 2023-2024 FAFSA early and submit their HPSL Verification form by June 30.
File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include parent information.
If you and your parents’ total income and assets are eligible for the HPSL program, you will be assigned a task in CalCentral that contains an HPSL Verification form that you can download, complete, and upload.
If you do not see a task assigned in CalCentral, you do not meet the initial criteria for the HPSL Loan.
If you meet the initial criteria, please submit an HPSL Verification form. You may access the form under the My Finances tab in CalCentral.
When you submit the HPSL Verification form, you will be asked to submit SIGNED copies of your and your parents’ 2021 federal tax return, ALL Schedules (if applicable), and W2 forms. Please upload all the documents as one file.
Once the HPSL Verification form has been approved, you will be offered an HPSL Loan and notified of this offer via email.
Please open a case with Cal Student Central with questions on the HPSL Loan.
Accepting an HPSL Loan
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The HPSL Loan will be included in your academic year financial aid package if you are eligible.
If you wish to borrow the HPSL Loan, you can begin by accepting the loan under the My Finances tab in CalCentral.
You can complete the Heartland ECSI loan requirements once you receive an email from ECSI beginning August 1. The email will contain an ECSI PIN necessary for successful login and completion of the online process. Check all Berkeley email folders, including the spam folder, for this email.
The Heartland ECSI email will include a PIN for logging into Electronic Promissory Notes. Please log in with your SSN and PIN to complete the following loan requirements:
Entrance Loan Counseling (contains a short multiple-choice quiz)
Master Promissory Note (consists of the Truth in Lending Act disclosure)
Heartland ECSI does not share student PIN information with UC Berkeley. If you cannot locate your PIN information, please contact ECSI. You may need to provide ECSI with your Social Security Number, full legal name, permanent address, and date of birth, as it appears in CalCentral.
Please note to receive reimbursement from the HPSL Loan before the end of the Fall term, complete loan requirements by the end of November, and to receive reimbursement from the HPSL Loan before the end of the Spring term, complete the requirements by the end of April. Complete the required processes by the following deadlines:
Attending Fall-only: November 30
Attending Fall/Spring or Spring-Only: April 30
HPSL Loan processing will be on hold between December 15 and January 2. If you accept the loan during this period, you may only be able to begin the online process after January 2. Loan requirements completed after November 30 will result in refunds issued in January.
Loan Disbursements
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After the student completes HPSL Loan requirements and the mandatory three-business day rescission period is over, UC Berkeley will receive an electronic confirmation from Heartland ECSI.
Your Loan Requirements task in CalCentral will be completed once UC Berkeley receives confirmation from ECSI.
The loan will be disbursed to your student account if you meet all the eligibility criteria.
You will receive a refund if your loan disbursement exceeds your outstanding charges.
Billing and Payment Services will notify you if you are eligible for a refund.
Notify the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office by opening a case with Cal Student Central if you would like your HPSL Loan, Federal Unsubsidized Loan, or Federal Graduate Plus Loan reduced or canceled.
Loan Repayment Terms
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The repayment period for the HPSL Loan begins one year after the student ceases to be full-time.
Interest will accrue from the beginning of the repayment period, and periods of authorized deferment are not included in the repayment period.
Interest is fixed at 5%, and the standard repayment period is ten years.
You can make payments on your HPSL Loan with UC Berkeley to the loan servicer Heartland ECSI.
Complete Exit Loan Counseling with Heartland ECSI if you leave school, graduate, or enroll less than half-time.
Keep your contact information up-to-date with UC Berkeley and Heartland ECSI to receive essential information about your HPSL Loan.
You can repay your loan without penalty at any time. The faster you pay your loan, the less interest you pay over time.
You will receive information regarding beginning repayment toward the end of your grace period.
If you have yet to receive repayment information, contact UC Berkeley at accountconsultants@berkeley.edu, Heartland ECSI, or open a case with Cal Student Central.
Please note UC Berkeley changed the loan servicer from ACS to Heartland ECSI on August 1, 2017. If you borrowed an HPSL Loan before August 1, 2017, your account balance was transferred to ECSI.
Contact - Financial Aid and Scholarships
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Cal Student Central is the destination for student university business related to financial aid, fees and billing, disbursements, registration, and enrollment.
Please notify the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office by opening a case with Cal Student Central if you would like your HPSL Loan, Federal Unsubsidized Loan, or Federal Graduate Plus Loan reduced or canceled.