Dream Loan

After your loan has been added to your award, you will receive an email from ECSI advising you to complete the required online process (Master Promissory Note, Entrance Loan Counseling and Truth in Lending Agreement documents). This email will contain a Heartland PIN that will be required for successful login and authentication.

Please WAIT to receive this email before proceeding to Step 3 and Step 4.

If you try to complete the following steps before getting the email notice from ECSI, you might not be able to login or might have to redo the whole online process when ECSI have your file ready. Check all email folders, including your spam folder, for this email. 

After receiving the email described in Step 2, complete the Master Promissory Note/ Entrance Loan Counseling (combined with the Truth In Lending Agreement documents). Click here to visit the ECSI website.

• California Dream Act Applicants: please use your 9-digit California Dream Act ID number instead of your Social Security number to log into the website.
• You will be asked to authenticate using the Heartland PIN (see Step 2 above).  If you cannot locate the email but it has been a few days since you have accepted your Dream Loan, you can contact ECSI (live chat through the website or by phone at 1-888-549-3274)

Once you have completed the process online, ECSI will send the electronic data to Cal State East Bay after the mandatory rescission period (about 3 business days after the online process is completed) ends, your loan requirement checklist will be updated after we receive this data.

Cal State East Bay uses your 9-digit California Dream Act ID number, instead of a Social Security number, to identify your records for the Dream Loan. The California Dream Act ID number was provided to you on your California Dream Act Application Confirmation Page. This number begins with 3 or 4 zeroes, and is 9 digits long. Please reference the tips below to successfully complete your online processes:

• If you enter a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Social Security number, the database may not locate your record and prevent you from completing the process.
• When asked to enter your Social Security number (SSN) on your Entrance Interview Login page, enter your California Dream Act ID Number.
• You will be asked to authenticate using a PIN. Please reference your ECSI email for the Heartland PIN to continue.  Be sure to check all folders in your Horizon email account to locate the ECSI email.  If you cannot locate the email but it has been a few days since you have accepted your Dream Loan, you can contact ECSI (live chat through the website or by phone at 1-888-549-3274). You will need to provide your full legal name, permanent address and date of birth (DOB) to obtain your Heartland PIN and continue with the authentication of the online process. Note: Your identifying information must match the information provided on MyCSUEB.

Effective July 1, 2024, the interest rate for the Dream Loan will be 6.53%. Interest will not accrue while you are enrolled at least half-time (6 or more credits).

Please note, the interest rate for the Dream Loan is set by the Federal Subsidized Loan interest rate. For the most up to date interest rate information click here.

• Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment (enroll in less than 6 credits)
• CA Dream Loan borrowers have a standard repayment and income based repayment plan available. For more information visit heartland.ecsi.net. Under Download Forms search for "California State University - East Bay".
• The annual loan maximum is $4,000 with a lifetime aggregate limit of $20,000.  
• Cal State East Bay is your lender and you will make your payments to East Bay's contracted loan servicer, ECSI. 
• It is important to keep your contact information up to date with Cal State East Bay to continue to receive updates about the repayment of your loan.