Our Federal Student Aid (FSA) office can respond to your financial aid questions when you visit the StudentAid.gov Contact Us page and select one of the appropriate contact centers and then select 'Email.' You may also reach FSA at 1-800-433-3243. Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Eastern time (ET), Saturday-Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. ET.
To view answers to FSA frequently asked questions or to receive assistance from FSA, please visit the StudentAid.gov Help Center.
You will need to contact your loan servicer directly to request your 1098-E. If you are unsure of who your loan servicer is, you may locate that information by logging in to your account on the Student Aid website, or by calling Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243.
All states have college savings programs designed to meet the savings needs of their citizens, known also as Qualified Tuition Plans. These programs seek to make the savings options easier for the average families. There are two types of plans:
Prepaid Tuition: Parents, grandparents, and other interested parties may lock in today's tuition rates, and the program will pay out future college tuition at any of the state's eligible colleges or universities (or an equal payment to private and out-of-state institutions).
529 Savings Plans: Savings plans allow participants to save money in a special college savings account on behalf of a designated beneficiary's qualified higher education expenses.
Both types of programs are considered "qualified state tuition programs" under the Internal Revenue Code Section 529 (26 U.S.C. 529). This allows earnings to be federally tax-exempt beginning January 1, 2002. Most states exempt earnings from state income tax and some states allow families to deduct the full or a partial amount of their contribution from their state income taxes.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines eligible institutions as "any college, university, vocational school, or other post-secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the Department of Education," including certain foreign institutions. Recent changes include tuition for elementary or secondary public, private, or religious schools. To determine eligibility for higher education institutions, please visit the Federal School Code Search page. Each qualified state tuition program operates under individual state laws, so programs may vary from state to state.
There are many "student loan relief" companies that for a fee offer to 'assist you prepare forms' to receive loan benefits or services like loan consolidation. These are services you can obtain yourself FOR FREE. These companies are not recognized, associated, nor sanctioned by the Department. So, they may assist their customers in dealing with the Department, but they do not work with or for, nor are part of the U.S. Department of Education. Please note there is only one federal loan consolidation program. Any federal student loan servicer will be able to help you apply for free. The government does not sanction debt relief firms, so it is not true when these businesses claim they have been approved by the government. Additionally, loan forgiveness is not available to everyone, and there are very specific requirements to obtain loan forgiveness. The Department does not charge you anything for applying or inquiring about forgiveness, consolidation, or repayment plans, but you must be eligible to receive them. Please be aware of companies that try to just offer you forgiveness without qualification and want to charge you for that. To determine your eligibility for any such program you may access your account or call 1-800-433-3243.
The Federal Trade Commission has a free educational website — Consumer.gov to help people avoid scams, manage your money, use credit and loans carefully, and protect your personal information.
Student Loan Debt Relief is blocked. Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program. As a result, at this time, we are not accepting applications. We are seeking to overturn those orders. If you've already applied, we'll hold your application. Subscribe and check back here for updates or reach our contact center agents at 1-833-932-3439. We will post information as soon as further updates are available.
There are certain criteria that make you eligible for a closed school discharge, and there are certain steps you need to take to get a discharge. It will be important for you to obtain your academic and financial aid records if your school closes as you may need your academic records if you plan to attend another school and want to have your coursework at the closed school taken into consideration. Contact the state licensing agency in the state in which the school was located to ask whether the state made arrangements to keep the records. The records might also be useful in substantiating your claim for a loan discharge. You may be eligible for up to a 100% discharge of your Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, or Federal Perkins Loans under either of these circumstances:
Your school closes while you're enrolled, and you do not complete your program because of the closure. If you were on an approved leave of absence, you are considered to have been enrolled at the school.
Your school closes within 120 days after you withdraw.
You are not eligible for discharge of your loans if your school closes and any of the following is true:
You withdraw more than 120 days before the school closes.
You are completing a comparable educational program at another school through a teach-out agreement with the school,
by transferring academic credits or hours earned at the closed school to another school,
or by any other comparable means.
You have completed all the coursework for the program, even if you have not received a diploma or certificate.
Contact your loan servicer about the application process for getting your loan discharged.
Be sure to continue to make payments on your loan while your discharge application is being processed.
If you defaulted on any of your federal student loans, contact the U.S. Department of Education's Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115 as soon as possible so you can explain your situation fully and discuss your options. One way to get out of default is to repay the defaulted loan in full, but that's not a practical option for most borrowers. The two main ways to get out of default are loan rehabilitation and loan consolidation. While loan rehabilitation takes several months to complete, you can quickly apply for loan consolidation. However, loan rehabilitation provides certain benefits that are not available through loan consolidation. You can compare the benefits of loan rehabilitation versus the benefits of loan consolidation with this chart. Find out who holds your loan by logging into your Federal Student Aid account.
On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced an initiative called "Fresh Start" to help eligible borrowers in default. Fresh Start will continue through one year after the COVID-19 payment pause ends. If your loans are eligible, you'll temporarily regain several student aid benefits. You'll also get the opportunity to get out of default and keep those benefits for the long term. If you're not sure whether your loans qualify, you can call the Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115.
Student loans may be discharged if you have a total and permanent disability. The U.S. Department of Education considers you to have a total and permanent disability if you are unable to work and earn money because of an injury or illness that is expected to continue indefinitely or result in death. Borrowers who wish to pursue this option must first submit a loan discharge application to the lender or agency holding the loan. For further guidance contact the Disability Discharge Loan Servicing Center at 1-888-303-7818.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs administers all education benefits under the GI Bill, these resources can be found at the GI Bill website. The U.S. Department Education (ED) implements competitive grant programs that provide funding to colleges and nonprofit organizations to assist veterans in enrolling in and completing a program of postsecondary education. These programs provide a great opportunity for veterans to get personalized counseling and support to achieve success in higher education. Learn more about how to utilize these programs and connect with programs near you by reviewing our Programs Supporting Veterans section. Ultimately, you may also be eligible for Federal Student Aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school.
In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid.
To obtain a hard copy of the FAFSA, call Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243. You may also access additional resources on student financial assistance and scholarships.
To apply for federal grants or student loans to go to college, you will need to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). The U.S. Department of Education's student financial assistance programs include:
The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) provides funds for part-time employment to help needy students finance the cost of postsecondary education. Students may be employed by the institution itself; a federal, state, or local public agency; a private nonprofit organization; or a private for-profit organization. To apply, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) as part of the application process for FWS assistance. Please note that FWS is a campus-based program, and as such, it may not be available in all schools.
The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Feedback System allows constituents to file complaints concerning federal aid. If you are dissatisfied with your experience in the federal student aid process, you can submit a complaint, send us a suggestion, or report a suspicious activity or an alleged scam on behalf of yourself or someone else. If you believe the resolution of a prior complaint was in error or disagree with the resolution, you can ask to file a dispute with the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group. You may call them at 1-877-557-7525.
First time applicants interested in participating in Federal Student Aid programs will find minimum eligibility requirements and other information at the initial applicant's site. To apply, please visit the electronic version of the Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal Student Financial Aid Programs. The School Participation Division for Federal Student Aid provides information and assistance to schools interested in applying or updating their information. For further assistance on this matter, please contact the office that serves your state. To access guidance and policies for participating schools visit the Knowledge Center.
It is possible to have your student loan debt discharged (or canceled) or reduced, but only under certain specific circumstances, including death or permanent and total disability, school closure, working as a teacher in a low-income school or in a subject-shortage area, working in the public service sector, or in the case of Perkins Loans, working in certain other professions (law enforcement, nursing, etc.). To view charts of discharges by loan type as well as discharge applications, go to Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Discharge Charts. If you have a Federal Family Education Loan, contact the lender or agency that holds your loan. If you have a Federal Perkins Loan, contact the school that made you the loan. If you are unsure of what type of loan(s) you have outstanding, you can check your loan history and find additional information on repaying your loans.
Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employees is offered through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.
Medical Professionals may also be eligible for loan forgiveness through the National Health Service Corps.
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers registered nurses substantial assistance to repay educational loans in exchange for service in critical shortage facilities.
Please be aware that there are many companies posing as (or claiming to work for) the U.S. Department of Education offering loan forgiveness or discharge in exchange for payments to them. Only your loan servicers are recognized by the Department, no other companies, and their services are FREE. If you have been the victim of such companies, you may report them to the Federal Trade Commission.
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating post-secondary institutions. Grant amounts are dependent on the student's expected family contribution (EFC); the cost of attendance (as determined by the institution); the student's enrollment status (full-time or part-time); and whether the student attends for a full academic year or less. If you are eligible, the amount you receive will depend not only on your financial need, but also on your costs to attend school, your status as a full-time or part-time student, and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. You can apply for student financial assistance, including the Pell Grant, by completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To obtain a hard copy of the FAFSA, call Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243.
Although you may select or be assigned a repayment plan when you first begin repaying your student loan, you can change repayment plans at any time—for free. Contact your loan servicer if you would like to discuss repayment plan options or change your repayment plan. You can get information about all of the federal student loans you have received and find the loan servicer for your loans by logging in to "My Federal Student Aid." General information about repayment options can be found on the following webpage. https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans.
You can get information about all of the federal student loans and grants you have received and find the loan servicer for your loans by logging in to your Federal Student Aid account. Please note that you will need to create an FSA ID in order to access your account. If you have questions about your account, contact Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243.