<p>I’m a newbie to this financial aid business. If I got a notification from HESC saying my stafford loans are guaranteed, does that mean the lender has been approved by the school? The lender is teling me to tell my school which lender I picked, while the school is telling me the lender will let them know. I just want to make sure that I don’t mess anything up!</p>
<p>The lender will let the school know - the school must certify the loan. But you could email the FA office (so you have a written record) and notify them anyway.</p>
<p>Start a file now and get in the habit of keeping all your correspondence regarding loans in one place. There’s a handy summary sheet here that you can print out and use to record your loans - tape/staple this to the inside cover of the file so you’ll know how much you owe. I also like to make a spreadsheet showing where the loan proceeds (and any other financial aid/529/other monies) went. Makes it much easier for filing taxes and to get tax credits that are available.</p>
<p>[FinAid</a> | Loans | Student Loan Checklist](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/loans/studentloanchecklist.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/loans/studentloanchecklist.phtml)</p>