Managing federal student loans can be overwhelming, but my office is here to help. If the resources below do not lead you to an answer, please complete our Casework Contact Form and a member of my staff will be happy to assist you.
For general information on federal student loan programs, please visit the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid, at studentaid.gov. For details on the dozens of current federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs, please see this report from Congressional Research Service.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENT LOANS
All federal student loans through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program are managed by loan servicers. Your loan servicer is your best resource for navigating your specific options based on your circumstances.
Who is my loan servicer?
The U.S. Department of Education assigns you a loan servicer after your federal student loan is first disbursed. The servicer contacts you after disbursement and when payments are due.
If you do not know the name of your loan servicer, you can be instantly provided with the name and phone number of your loan servicer by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.
You can also log into your Federal Student Aid account here.
Your loan servicer is responsible for helping you manage your loans and can walk you through all of the options for repayment of your loans. They will work with you on repayment plans and loan consolidation and will assist you with other tasks related to your federal student loan. It is important to maintain contact with your loan servicer. If your circumstances change at any time during your repayment period, your loan servicer will be able to help.
Below you can find a basic summary of options your loan servicer may be able to offer. It is best to discuss your specific situation with your loan servicer, who will counsel you on the options you qualify for.
Income-Driven Plan: Plans that allow for reduced monthly payments determined based on factors including the amount of the student loan debt, family size, and adjusted gross income; monthly payments are capped at a percentage of a borrower’s discretionary income (between 10% and 20%) or other income-dependent criteria. Debt relief after a specified period of time – between 20 and 25 years.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Debt relief to qualified borrowers after a certain period of public service employment and on-time payments.
Deferment: Delay of repayment and interest accrual due to a specific situation like being enrolled half-time in school or unemployment.
Forbearance: Delay of repayment due to a specific situation like financial hardship, illness, or total amount you owe each month for all the student loans you received is 20 percent or more of your total monthly gross income (additional conditions apply).
Cancellation or Discharge: Debt relief under specific situations like total and permanent disability or death.
