Danielle E. Leonard '96 says she had spoken with financial aid officers about her loans but that she had gone out of her way to do so. She says her friends who had not made a conscious effort to find out about their loans were not at all informed about them.

The exit interview focuses on a pamphlet produced by the financial aid office which describes the billing system, payment options, penalties for late payment and ways in which to defer loans.

According to Miller, Harvard and government regulations allow for a great deal of flexibility in payment options. Loans can be consolidated or deferred and, through some programs, even forgiven.

Loan payments can be deferred often without interest, depending on the type of loan. Loans can usually be deferred if a student is enrolled in school, serving in the military or volunteering for an organization like the Peace Corps. Deferments are sometimes available for students looking for work or for those who have just had children.

Almost all loans carry an automatic grace period following graduation during which interest does not accrue. These grace periods usually last six months.

A number of programs allow students who teach in public elementary or high schools in areas the Department of Education classifies as understaffed to defer their loans or eliminate them entirely.

Loan payments usually must be made monthly with minimum payments typically ranging from $15 to $50. Payments are generally geared to eliminate debts within 10 years.

Sumner says plenty of options were described during his interview and that he is not worried about his ability to find a way to repay his loans.

"It seems like they go out of their way to make it easy," Leonard says.

She says the exit interview did have an effect on her, however. She says she had not previously thought a great deal about her repayment obligations and was somewhat daunted by the thought of having to pay off debts for the next 10 years.

Leonard concentrated in social studies at the College and says she plans to go to law school in the future, but she adds that the thought of loans helped crystallize her immediate plans.

"It made me think working a couple of years before law school would be a good idea," Leonard says.