Free help with your student loans

Find all your loans

Log in to StudentAid.gov with your FSA ID to see your federal loans, your balance, your interest rates and who your servicer is. Your servicer is the company that sends your bills.

Private student loans aren't listed there. To find those, check your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, look at your loan paperwork, or ask your school's financial aid office.

Your servicer is your first call

Your federal loan servicer can explain your account, help you change repayment plans, and talk through deferment or forbearance if you can't afford your payment. Their help is free.

Keep notes of each call, including the date and who you spoke with, and save any letters or emails.

Compare repayment plans

Your options depend on your loan type and when your loans were paid out. The SAVE plan has ended, and a newer income-driven plan, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), bases your payment on your income, with a reduction for each dependent. Other plans may still be available for some older loans.

The easiest way to see your choices is the Repayment Calculator on StudentAid.gov, which used to be called Loan Simulator. If you log in first, it can pull in your loan details and estimate your payment under each plan you qualify for. Your servicer can help you switch.

In default? You can get out

Default can lead to collections, including taking part of your paycheck or your federal tax refund. But there are ways back, and the Default Resolution Group can help at 1-800-621-3115.

• Loan rehabilitation: you agree to make nine on-time monthly payments based on your income. When you finish, the loan is out of default, and the record of the default is removed from your credit history.
• Consolidation: you combine your defaulted loans into a new Direct Consolidation Loan. It can be faster, but collection costs may be added, and the record of the default stays on your credit history.

Small balance? Easy ways to pay it down

Signing up for automatic payments with your federal servicer can lower your interest rate by 0.25%. Paying a little extra each month can also cut the interest you pay. You can ask your servicer to put the extra toward your highest-rate loan.

Grace period basics

Most federal student loans have a grace period, usually six months after you graduate, leave school or drop below half-time, before your first payment is due. For most loans, interest keeps growing during that time. Parent PLUS loans don't have a grace period, but parents can ask about a deferment.

Use the grace period to find your servicer, look at your plan options and set up autopay.

Private loans and avoiding scams

Private lenders don't have to offer relief, but it's worth asking. Contact your lender or servicer, explain what changed, and ask about lower payments, a longer repayment period or forbearance. Ask whether interest will keep building during any pause. Get any agreement in writing, and let your co-signer know if you have one.

The FTC warns never to pay an upfront fee for student loan help, never share your FSA ID, and don't trust a government seal as proof a message is real. Free help for federal loans is at StudentAid.gov, and you can report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.