Now is the time to start informing and counseling seniors who borrowed student loans about the new Income-Based Repayment program. This new federal loan repayment option becomes available for the first time on July 1, 2009.

NASFAA is an organizational partner of IBRinfo.org, a consumer-oriented Web site that is the most comprehensive source of information on IBR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. IBRinfo.org is working to inform graduating seniors about the new loan repayment options available to them.

Financial aid administrators will play a vital role in informing outgoing senior about their loan repayment options. To help you inform your students IBRinfo.org has created a new one-page flyer that explains IBR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness to graduating students. NASFAA urges you to pass this information on to students and to tell them about IBRinfo.org as part of any exit counseling.

IBRinfo.org is also kicking outreach efforts into high gear between now and July 1, and is working to target graduating seniors before they leave campus in the next several weeks. This includes traditional media outreach like building up the Facebook presence (www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18274939375&ref=ts). We also encourage you to help spread the word by writing letters to editors, commenting on blogs and online articles, and reaching out to alumni associations.

NASFAA would also like to hear how you are spreading the word about the new IBR program so we can help financial aid administrators share best practices. Let us know what you are doing by sending us an email.

IBR Tip Sheet in PDF format.

By Haley Chitty
NASFAA Director of Communications

Posted 04/17/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.