Figuring out who has your student loans can be a major headache and challenge. Over the life of a student loan, it's not uncommon for it to be transferred several times between servicers. By the time you're actually ready to pay 4 or 5 years after taking out your first student loan, you may not even know where your student loan is located.
And this can be a major problem! For federal student loans, you have a 6 month deferment period before you're required to start making payments. If you're not contacted by your student loan servicer, they most likely don't have your new address. But that doesn't mean they aren't going to charge you interest and fees for student loans you're not paying. That's going to kill your credit score (and you should care)!
As a result, you need to make an effort to track down your student loans after you graduate!
If you're not quite sure where to start or what to do, consider hiring a CFA to help you with your student loans. We recommend The Student Loan Planner to help you put together a solid financial plan for your student loan debt. Check out The Student Loan Planner here.
Start Here: The National Student Loan Database
The first thing that you need to do after you graduate is head over to the National Student Loan Database. This is a great resource that is maintained by the US Department of Education that tracks who services your student loans and the balance of your loans. Given how much can change with your student loans while you're in school, this can be really helpful to track everything down.
To access your information, you simply need to provide your name, Social Security number, birthday, and a pin number. It will then show a list of your student loan debt that has been registered with the Department of Education (which includes all federal student loans and some private student loans).
Once you know who your student loan servicer is, you need to contact them, especially if you are nearing the end of your deferment period and haven't received a statement or any other information.
Contact Your Student Loan Servicer
Here is the name, address, and contact info for the Federally approved student loan servicers. If you're loan is at one of these companies, this is the information you need. Also, read our reviews on the ones that we've encountered here at The College Investor.
If you're looking for a student loan debt collector, check out this list: The Complete List Of Student Loan Debt Collectors
Aspire Resources Inc.
PO Box 65970
West Des Moines, IA 50265-0970
(855) 475-3335
CornerStone
P.O. Box 145122
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5122
(800) 663-1662
Read some of the problems people have had with CornerStone Student Loan Servicing.
ESA/EdFinancial
P.O. Box 36008
Knoxville, TN 37930-6008
(855) 337-6884
If you're curious, make sure you read about the Problems With ESA or EdFinancial Loan Servicing
FedLoan Servicing (PHEAA)
P.O. Box 69184
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9184
(800) 699-2908
Don't forget to read my battle with FedLoan Servicing and why I think it's the worst student loan servicing company.
Granite State (GSMR)
PO Box 2097
Concord, NH 03302-2097
(888) 556-0022
Check out this article about Problems With Granite State (GSMR) Student Loan Servicing
Great Lakes Educational Loan Services Inc.
PO Box 7860
Madison, WI 53707-7860
(800) 236-4300
Make sure you read this article: Problems with Great Lakes Loan Servicing
MOHELA
633 Spirit Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63005-1243
(888) 866-4352
Don't forget to read this article about Problems With MOHELA Loan Servicing
Navient
P.O. Box 9500
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-9500
(888) 272-5543
If you've seen the news, you'll find this article interesting: How To Deal With Navient Lawsuits And Loan Servicing Problems
NelNet
P.O. Box 82561
Lincoln, NE 68501-2561
(888) 486-4722
Make sure that you check out NelNet Student Loan Servicing Problems.
OSLA Servicing
525 Central Park Drive, Suite 600
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 556-9224
If you're having problems with OSLA Loan Servicing, read this.
Sallie Mae
P.O. Box 9635
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-9635
(800) 722-1300
VSAC Federal Loans
Po Box 777
Winooski, VT 05404
(888) 932-5626
Get In Touch
It sounds like it could be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. You can sign up for these programs for free at StudentLoans.gov.
Have you ever had trouble getting in touch with your student loan servicing company? If so, share your story below!
Daniela Tapia says
Wow in not in college, but I do have a sister who is who I bet this information is important for her. I never thought about our student loan, how important it is where our student loan is located. Good tips and thanks for the heads up…
Yoli Flores says
I will make sure to share this information with my twins.
shoesan says
Student loans are so overwhelming. I dread doing that FASFA form every year. They need to carry the info over from year to year and just let you update it!! UGH
Sandra Williams says
is fedloanhelp.org a legitimate student loan servicing company? is it a scam. It was not in your list. I can’t seem to find any complete information on this company. They claim they don’t ask for any money.
Robert Farrington says
No FedloanHelp is NOT a Federal Loan Servicing company. You shouldn’t work with them, but you should instead call your lender.
D says
Is Navloan a legit Federal Loan Servicing company? I do NOT see them on this list. Please let US know asap! They say its an processing fee.
Robert Farrington says
No, they are not a Dept of Education loan servicing company. You never have to pay a fee for any service relating to your Federal student loans.
If you’re concerned about a legit website, you can always access your student loan information at StudentLoans.gov.
Susan says
Is Student Loan Assistance Foundation a legitimate educational loan company? My husband filled out paperwork already for his daughter’s loan but I’m suspicious.
Robert Farrington says
If you mean is it a legit Federal loan servicer? The answer is no.
This company sounds like a document preparation assistance company. They basically charge you a fee to fill out paperwork for your student loans. Read about why we don’t think consumers should use these companies here: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Liliana says
Is Debt Pay Gateway a legitimate loan company? they asked me for a fee to fill out my IDR.
Robert Farrington says
We’ve never heard of them and can’t tell you if they are legitimate or not. We can say, in general, you don’t need to pay for any help with your student loans. You can do it for free at StudentLoans.gov. If you want help, you can always pay, but there are free options that are relatively easy to do.
Read this article, you might find it helpful: Is My Student Assistance Company A Scam?
Jennifer says
Does Accel Service Center work with DOE, or just charge people to fill out paperwork? Also, why do they ask for such personal ID information, that has never been asked before?
Robert Farrington says
No, they are not a Federal loan servicer and they have no relationship with the Department of Education. You might find this article valuable: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Cheryl says
Does the Student Loan Center (800-935-2916) with John Comer a legitimate student loan consolidation program?
Robert Farrington says
They are not a Federal loan servicer and have no relationship to the Department of Education. You might find this article informative: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Cheryl says
Thank you!
Suzanne Bowers says
Help me get out of dealing big with Fedloanhelp.org. They take money out to of my account every month. I need help!
Robert Farrington says
Hi Suzanne, that company is not a Federal Loan Servicer. You are paying them for a service. You might find this article helpful: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Sai says
I’m having trouble proving a payment history for a loan repayment application from back in 2012 – NSLDS lists Dept of ed PHEAA and most recently I was dealing with fedloan, but talking to fedloan now they say I consolidated with “direct loan servicing” that “no longer exists” and there is no way to find that payment history (from 2012) since they didn’t take over the loan till 2013. Was there a company or govt agency by that name in 2012 that truely no longer exists? 10 plus calls to fedloan and speaking to supervisors and they still say they can’t help.
Robert Farrington says
Check your credit report – annualcreditreport.com and see where your loan is at.
Jessica says
Hi,
Cornerstone education Loan services sent me a letter saying that Department of Education has selected them to service my loans. I read some reviews online about Cornerstone and people have said that they were horrible and very unprofessional with students. Is there a way I can change my loans provider to someone else?
Robert Farrington says
No, you loan is assigned by the Department of Education.
Mark Casci says
Can you provide me with contact information for Foremost student loans?
Robert Farrington says
Never heard of this company and they are not a Federal student loan servicer.
Cristal Colin says
Is fedloanservicing a scam?
Robert Farrington says
Fedloan Servicing is a student loan servicer – however, many companies play off the name in an attempt to confuse or mislead people. Be aware.
Cruz says
Is MyFedLoan.org legit
Robert Farrington says
That is the official website of Fedloan Servicing, which is a student loan servicer.
Craig needens says
Is Unified Document services out of Orange county a legitimate student consolidation loan company
Robert Farrington says
The list in the article are the only Federal loan servicers. It sounds like you’re thinking about using a third-party private company to help you?
You should realize that student loan consolidation is a free service offered by the government. You can do it online at StudentLoans.gov or by calling your lender. Learn more here: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/14356/stop-paying-student-loan-consolidation/
Also, if you choose to work with a third-party company, read this first: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Don says
Am trying to consolidate my parent plus loans into 1 loan. I work for a gov’t public service agency and my employer already signed my loan forgiveness certificate. I currently had my loans with Nelnet. Do I have a choice in marketing for other authorized loan servicers on your list to get a better/lower interest/loan terms? Which one will you recommend for me?
Robert Farrington says
Parent PLUS Loans are complex when it comes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness. You have to re-consolidate, then make 10 years of payments under ICR to potentially qualify.
As for your loan servicer choice, you don’t get a choice. Your loans will be transferred to FedLoan since you are opting for PSLF.
You might find this article helpful: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/17101/options-if-you-cant-afford-your-parent-plus-loans/
Eana Sanders says
Is premier student loan center legit?
Robert Farrington says
They are not a Federal loan servicing company. They are a third-party company. If you want to do business with any third party company that’s not your lender, make sure you read this first: http://growth360tci.wpengine.com/16429/is-your-student-loan-repayment-company-a-scam/
Hilary Stanco says
I know this conversation is mostly about federal loans, but…
Do you know if it’s possible to change your student loan service provider for private loans? Do different service providers offer different interest rates or are they the same across the board? Do I have the right to choose one other than the one I’m assigned?
Robert Farrington says
You can refinance your student loans at a different lender, which would then change who owns your loans.
Different private lenders offer all sorts of rates, options, perks, etc. Check out this list: Best Places To Refinance Student Loans.