Please note, you will need to wait for an email from WebmasterECSI before attempting to e-sign your HLS loans. Harvard uses a loan signing system for HLS Loans called Heartland/ECSI.
Once you receive your email from Heartland ECSI, follow these instructions:
-
Login
To begin the signing process you’ll need to login to Heartland ECSI which is the agency that Harvard University has contracted to service Harvard Law School loans.
To do this, you will need to use the email you receive from WebmasterECSI. In that email you will receive the link and a pin number. You cannot log into the system and sign your note without this information. You will use the first 8 digits of your Harvard University ID number and NOT your Social Security Number.
The email will have a section like the following – everyone will have a different pin number in their email:
***FOR NURSING/HEALTH PROFESSION/DENTAL OR OTHER INSTITUTIONAL/PRIVATE LOANS:
- Log on to ECSI’s website at https://www.ecsi.net/promK4 .
- Provide your Social Security Number or Student ID Number, last name, and date of birth.
- Enter your ECSI PIN: 12345 (example numbers) when requested for authentication.
Login: www.ecsi.net/promk4/ and click the Get Started button
-
Steps 2-5
Steps 2 – 5 are self explanatory. Among other things, you will be asked to complete biographical information and give two references.
The biographical information will be updated during the spring of your 3L year (or upon your leave or withdrawal from HLS) when you are required to participate in a Loan Repayment Session (aka an Exit Interview) as a graduation requirement. The references should be family members or someone who will know how to contact you. The references will not be contacted for collection purposes. They are simply used as a default prevention tool so that the lender may reach out to them if they are unable to contact you. The lender will simply ask your reference to have you contact them since they are unable to contact you.
-
Step 6
This section will review information about three documents: Self-Certification, Truth in Lending (TILA) and your Promissory Note. Be certain to read it carefully.
The Self Certification informs you of the cost of your requested education for the current year and your estimated financial aid which excludes the note you are about to sign.
The TILA documents are disclosure notices that estimate the cost of the loan during the entire repayment years. PLEASE NOTE: since you are signing a multi year note, the amounts listed in this section are the maximum amount a student might be awarded during their three years at HLS. It is NOT your current year loan amount. The amount you actually borrow is listed on your “Budget & Awards” screen on the SFS Portal and will show as a disbursement of that same amount on your student account.
The Promissory Note is a multi-year note and is signed once during your enrollment at HLS unless the terms change. You will sign a note when you are first awarded a specific HLS loan fund. Student who have HLS loans with different interest rates will need to sign one note for each interest rate.
-
Complete any other notes
Students who have one or more type of HLS loan will need to sign a promissory note for each loan type and according to the total amount a student can borrow through the loan program.
For example, if you have a subsidized SPIF summer loan of 5% with a borrowing cap of $3,900, and an academic year subsidized 5% HLS loan of 10,000 with a borrowing cap of $80,000, you’ll need to sign two notes since the cap is different under each loan program.
-
Troubleshooting
While we do not anticipate any problems occurring while signing your HLS loan promissory notes, we do want to let you know who you should contact if you encounter a problem.
Ways to receive help:
Contact Heartland/ECSI
- Live Chat at https://heartland.ecsi.net
- Call toll-free at 1.888.549.3274, Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time.