Borrower help center

Student Loan Help Guides

Plain-language guides for repayment changes, forgiveness paths, Parent PLUS questions, default help, servicer problems, and borrower documents.

Article Student Loan Delinquency: What Happens After You Miss A Federal Student Loan Payment

Student loan delinquency starts when a borrower misses a payment, but the outcome depends on how quickly they respond. This guide.

Article Federal Student Loan Default: What It Means And How To Start Getting Out

Federal student loan default can trigger serious consequences, but defaulted borrowers may still have ways to move forward. This.

Article Student Loan Collections: What Defaulted Borrowers Should Know Before Ignoring A Notice

Student loan collections can be confusing because borrowers may hear from a servicer, the federal government, a debt collector, or.

Article Student Loan Wage Garnishment

Federal student loan wage garnishment is one of the most stressful default consequences because it can affect a borrower's.

Article Student Loan Credit Report Errors

Student loan credit report errors can affect borrowing, housing, employment screening, and stress levels. This guide explains how.

Article Student Loan Scams: Warning Signs Borrowers Should Know Before Paying For Help

Student loan scams thrive when borrowers are confused, stressed, or behind. This article gives borrowers a practical warning-sign.

Article Student Loan Servicer Disputes

Servicer disputes often become hard to resolve because borrowers lack a clean timeline. This article gives borrowers a practical.

Article How To File A Student Loan Complaint

When a student loan problem is not fixed by a servicer, collector, lender, or credit reporting company, a complaint may help move.

Article PSLF Checklist 2026: What To Confirm Before You Count On Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Public Service Loan Forgiveness can be useful for some government and nonprofit workers, but it is document-driven and easy to.

Article Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers: TLF, PSLF, And The Questions To Ask First

Teachers may see more than one federal forgiveness path, but the programs are not interchangeable. Teacher Loan Forgiveness may.

Article Student Loan Forgiveness For Nurses And Healthcare Workers: PSLF, Nurse Corps, And NHSC Questions

Nurses and healthcare workers may have several possible student loan relief paths, but the rules depend on employer, site.

Article PSLF For Nonprofit Employees: How To Check Employer Eligibility Without Guessing

Nonprofit employees should not assume PSLF eligibility based only on mission, job title, or workplace reputation. Federal Student.

Article Parent PLUS And Forgiveness: Questions Parent Borrowers Should Ask Before Consolidating Or Applying

Parent PLUS borrowers need careful guidance because the parent, not the student, is legally responsible for the loan. A child's.

Article RAP Starts July 1: What Borrowers Should Know About The New Repayment Assistance Plan

A major federal student loan repayment change begins July 1, 2026. The Department of Education's June 9, 2026 fact sheet says.

Article The New Tiered Standard Plan: Why Standard Repayment Is Changing

Beginning July 1, 2026, federal student loan borrowers will see a new fixed-payment option: the Tiered Standard repayment plan. ED.

Article Grad PLUS Ends And Parent PLUS Caps Begin July 1, 2026

Federal borrowing limits change sharply on July 1, 2026. ED's May 6, 2026 fact sheet says the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Article SAVE Borrowers Face A Repayment Crossroads In 2026

SAVE borrowers have been in a long period of uncertainty. On March 26, 2025, ED said it had reopened revised online IDR and.

Article Defaulted Student Loans: New Rehabilitation Rules And Collections Questions

Defaulted borrowers should not treat policy transitions as debt cancellation. Default can affect credit, repayment options.

Article PSLF For Teachers In 2026

Teachers often hear about several student loan forgiveness paths, but the rules are not interchangeable. PSLF is usually based on.

Article Student Loan Forgiveness For Nurses In 2026

Nurses may have several possible student loan relief paths, but each one has its own rules. PSLF can work for nurses employed.

Article PSLF For Social Workers And Nonprofit Employees

Social workers and nonprofit employees are often strong PSLF candidates, but eligibility is not automatic. PSLF generally depends.

Article PSLF For Government Employees

Government employees are often among the clearest PSLF candidates, but they still need to meet the program rules. PSLF generally.

Article Student Loan Forgiveness For Police, Firefighters, And EMS

Police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, paramedics, dispatchers, and other public safety workers may be eligible for PSLF when.

Article PSLF For Military Service Members And Veterans

Military service can support PSLF when the borrower meets the program's loan, payment, employment, and documentation rules.

Article PSLF For Adjunct Faculty, Professors, And Higher-Ed Staff

Adjunct faculty and higher-ed staff often miss PSLF opportunities because they assume only full-time professors qualify. PSLF can.

Article Does Contract Work Count For PSLF?

Contract work is one of the most dangerous PSLF assumption traps. A borrower may work inside a public school, public hospital.

Article RAP Repayment Plan 2026: What Federal Student Loan Borrowers Should Know

The Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, is one of the biggest federal student loan repayment changes borrowers need to watch in.

Article Tiered Standard Repayment Plan 2026: Lower Monthly Payment Or Higher Total Cost?

The Tiered Standard repayment plan is a new federal repayment structure scheduled for July 2026. Unlike income-driven plans.

Article IBR In 2026: Why Income-Based Repayment Still Matters

Income-Based Repayment, or IBR, remains a critical keyword for federal student loan borrowers in 2026 because repayment rules are.

Article SAVE Transition 2026: What Borrowers Should Do Before Choosing A New Plan

Borrowers who enrolled in or planned around SAVE need a careful 2026 transition strategy. The Department of Education previously.

Article IDR Recertification In 2026: How To Avoid Payment Surprises

IDR recertification remains one of the highest-risk borrower tasks because missing a deadline or submitting outdated information.

Article How To Estimate Your 2026 Student Loan Payment Before You Switch Plans

Before switching federal student loan repayment plans in 2026, borrowers should estimate more than the next monthly bill. A useful.

Article Student Loan Hardship Options In 2026: Forbearance, Deferment, And Lower-Payment Paths

Borrowers who cannot afford a federal student loan payment in 2026 should understand the difference between temporary relief and a.

Article Avoiding Plan-Switch Mistakes In 2026: A Borrower Checklist

Switching federal student loan repayment plans in 2026 may be necessary for many borrowers, but rushing can create expensive.

Article 2026 Federal Student Loan Repayment Changes: What Borrowers Should Check First

Federal repayment changes can affect monthly payments, total repayment time, interest treatment, and forgiveness strategy.

Article RAP Repayment Plan 2026: What Federal Student Loan Borrowers Should Check

RAP is a new repayment option described by ED for the 2026 repayment landscape. Borrowers should not assume eligibility or.

Article Tiered Standard Repayment Plan 2026: How Fixed Terms Can Change The Monthly Bill

Tiered Standard repayment may lower monthly payments for some higher-balance borrowers by extending the repayment term. Borrowers.

Article SAVE Plan Borrowers In 2026: What To Verify Before Changing Repayment Plans

Borrowers who see SAVE on their account should verify plan status, due date, forbearance or payment status, available.

Article Estimate Student Loan Payment: Budget Pressure, Weekly Basics, And What May Be Left

A student loan payment is not just a number. Borrowers should compare the estimate with take-home pay and weekly basics like.

Article PSLF For Teachers: What To Check Before You Count On Forgiveness

Teachers may have more than one student loan forgiveness path, but PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness are not the same program.

Article Student Loan Forgiveness For Nurses: PSLF, HRSA, Hospitals, And Employer Checks

Nurses may have several student loan relief paths, but the right path depends on employer status, program rules, service.

Article Parent PLUS Loan Help: Lower Payment Questions Parents Should Ask First

Parent PLUS borrowers often need a different checklist than student borrowers. Loan ownership, consolidation, income-driven.

Article Defaulted Student Loans: What To Do Before Wages, Taxes, Or Benefits Are Hit

Defaulted student loans require fast organization. Borrowers should identify the loan holder, confirm whether the debt is federal.

Article Student Loan Scams: Red Flags Before You Pay Or Share Information

Student loan scams often target stressed borrowers with promises of instant forgiveness, urgent deadlines, upfront fees, or.