NMLS-Approved Continuing Education – Prospect FAQs

Examples of some prospect questions about our course or school, in general, are below:

Q: Who is required to take NMLS-approved continuing education?

A: All Loan Originators working for State-licensed companies must complete a minimum of eight (8) credit hours of NMLS-approved continuing education each calendar year. Some states also require additional state-specific education. 

Q: How many hours of continuing education are required by the SAFE act?

A: Every state-licensed mortgage loan originator must complete at least 8 hours of NMLS-approved education annually. Some states also require some state-specific education that may be part of or in addition to the 8-hours of education. See the State-Specific education requirements from the NMLS for details. 

Q: I became licensed as a Loan Originator this year. Do I still need to complete a continuing education course this year?

A: If an MLO became compliant for PE in the same calendar and was approved for an initial license in the same calendar year, it is unlikely. To verify requirements, ensure to review the State-Specific education requirements.

Q: I completed state-specific PE this year. Do I still need to complete a continuing education course this year?

A: If an MLO became compliant for PE in a previous year and completed state-specific PE for another license, it is required to complete CE for that agency for the current year. Further details are available on the NMLS website.

Q: Do Real Estate Institute’s continuing education courses satisfy all my education requirements?

A: Our 7 Hour SAFE Core or 8 Hour SAFE Comprehensive courses fulfill the national CE requirements under the SAFE Act (3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, and 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage products). Our 7- & 8-hour courses do not include any state-specific education.

We offer state-specific continuing education courses separately for all states that require it. Our state-specific courses are provided in an online, self-study format.

To verify requirements, ensure to review the State-Specific education requirements.

Q: Does Real Estate Institute offer state-specific continuing education?

A: Yes, we offer state-specific continuing education courses for all states that require it. Our state-specific courses are provided in an online, self-study format.

To verify requirements, ensure to review the State-Specific education requirements.

Q: My state has an early deadline before December 31st, which I have missed. Do I need Late CE?

A: No. Even if an agency has an earlier deadline than December 31st, the MLO has until December 31st to complete on-time CE. There will be late fees (confirm with the NMLS), but we will need to ensure to complete on-time CE through the end of the year. Those who do not complete their CE by December 31st will need Late CE.

To verify requirements, ensure to review the State-Specific education requirements.

Q: Are there set dates for when I must complete my online self-study coursework?

A: All NMLS-approved continuing education OSS courses will expire six months after the date of enrollment OR by January 2nd of the following year from enrollment, whichever date comes first.

To verify deadline and education requirements, review the State-Specific education requirements.

Q: I took a course with you last year. Is the content going to be different in this year’s class?

A: Yes. The content for this course was developed by Real Estate Institute and is updated yearly to ensure it has the latest information.

Q: Will there be quizzes or questions I must answer throughout the course, or is there a final exam I need to complete?

A: Yes. Our courses have been developed so that you will be completing knowledge checks as you progress through chunks of the course content. These knowledge checks are designed to help gauge your understanding of the course material.

Live and Webinar courses conclude with a comprehensive case study in which all students must participate to demonstrate learning.

Online Self-Study courses conclude with a final (multiple-choice) exam on which you must score at least 70%. Students are given six attempts to pass the final exam.

Q: Do you report my education completion to the NMLS for me?

A: Yes. Real Estate Institute will report your course completion to the NMLS within seven days of course completion.

Q: If I work for a commercial bank or other federally charted institution, do I need to take the SAFE-required education courses?

A: If a loan originator works for a bank or a depository, they are not required to complete SAFE-required education courses. Non-state-licensed MLOs do not have the exact formal CE requirements. The details of that question are on the NMLS website.

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