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Looking for the right place to pay back loans? Unfortunately, there’s no blinking neon sign for borrowers to “Repay Loans Here.”

Instead, borrowers may have to go old school and make a phone call to meet their new best friend—the student loan servicer. It all starts with contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center to learn next steps.

Contact Your Student Loan Servicer

Before paying back student loans, graduates will have to figure out who their student loan servicer is. A student loan servicer is the company assigned by the US Department of Education (federal student loan creator) to take care of the day to day servicing of a federal student loan. If a person needs to talk to someone about their federal student loan, they can reach out to the servicers instead of to a government office.

Students don’t have to do anything for their loan to be transferred to a loan servicer. The federal student loan will be transferred to a servicer after its first disbursement. Once that happens, students should expect to be contacted by the servicer.

But, unexpected moves or outdated contact information could mean the servicer doesn’t reach you. If a student needs help figuring out who their servicer is, one option is to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC): 1-800-433-3243.

However, FSAIC can only help students figure out their servicer if they hold federal student loans, not private student loans.

Another option for borrowers with federal student loans is to log into their Federal Student Aid account. From this portal, borrowers can access information on their student loan servicer.

Federal student loan borrowers can also check the National Student Loan Data System to find information about their loan servicer.

Once a student figures out their loan student servicer and contacts them, they can begin sorting through the repayment process. A loan servicer should help a student figure out how to repay loans free of charge.

Be warned, any federal loan servicer that asks for payment may be a scam, warns the US Department of Education.

Recommended: How to Find Out Who Your Student Loan Lender Is

Grace Periods

A loan servicer can help students and graduates figure out when their loan repayment will begin. Most, but not all, federal student loans have a six-month grace period , or an allotted amount of time before a student has to start paying back the loan.

The student loan grace period generally begins once a student graduates, leaves school, or enrolls in class less than part-time. This time is meant for students to get in contact with their loan servicer and begin setting up a repayment plan, so they don’t have to scramble post-graduation when so many other changes are happening.

Students should be aware that interest on their loan may be accruing during their grace period. For that reason, some students may decide to begin repayment before the grace period is up, in order to keep the interest capitalization down.

Borrowers with subsidized student loans will not accrue interest on their loans during their grace period.

There are some circumstances that can extend, or end a grace period early :

•  Being called into active military duty. This will restart the grace period, which will begin again once the student returns.
•  Going back to school before the end of the grace period. If a student goes back to school at least part-time, then they won’t have to repay their loans until they finish school, in which case they’ll have another six-month grace period.
•  Consolidating loans. If a student decides to consolidate or refinance a loan before the end of the grace period, they’ll start their repayment as soon as the paperwork is processed.

Recommended: How Long is a Student Loan Grace Period?

Selecting a Repayment Plan

During the grace period, students can work with their loan servicer, and other online tools to figure out the right repayment plan for them. The US Department of Education has a loan simulator tool where users can calculate interest rates to help them determine the best repayment scenario.

There are several repayment plans a student can choose from, depending on their finances and the type of federal student loans they have.

•  Standard Repayment Plan. All federal loan borrowers are eligible for this repayment plan, where payments are in a fixed amount each month, typically with the plan to pay off the loan within ten years.
•  Graduated Repayment Plan. This plan, which nearly all federal loan holders can enroll in, starts out with low monthly payments, then gradually increases every two years. Payments are made monthly for up to ten years for most loans.
•  Extended Repayment Plan. In this plan, which nearly all borrowers can adopt, payments standard or graduated payments are made monthly, but at a lower rate over a longer period of time, typically 25 years.
•  REPAYE. The Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan is for any Direct Loan borrower. Payments are calculated as 10% of a person’s discretionary income, and monthly payments will be recalculated each year based on family and income.
•  IBR. The Income-Based Repayment Plan allows for monthly payments between ten to 15% of a person’s monthly income, but borrows must have a high debt to income ratio to qualify.
•  ICR. In the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan, eligible borrowers will make monthly payments based on the lesser value of either 20% of their income, or the “amount you would pay on a repayment plan with a fixed payment over 12 years, adjusted according to your income,” according to the Department of Education.
•  Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan. This plan is only available under a few federal loan programs. Payments are based on annual income, and the loan will be paid off within 15 years.

Depending on a borrower’s income and the type of loan they took out, they can work with their servicer to determine which student loan repayment plan might be the best course of action. If a borrower doesn’t reach out to their servicer to coordinate a repayment plan before the end of the grace period, they will be on the standard repayment plan by default.

Recommended: Getting to Know Your Student Loan Repayment Options

Start Repaying Student Loans

Once a repayment plan is selected, and the grace period draws to a close, borrowers will begin making payments on their student loans.

Where a borrower will make their payment is dependent upon who their student loan servicer is. Most student loan servicers make it possible for borrowers to make monthly payments online, but it’s best to confirm that with the servicer before payments begin.

Most servicers also have an automatic payments set-up, where monthly payments are automatically debited out of borrowers’ accounts each month. Setting up an automatic payment can help borrowers avoid missing a payment, or rack up late fees.

Additionally, some federal student loans provide a discount when a borrower sets up automatic repayment online. For example, if a borrower has a Direct Loan, their interest rate is reduced by .25% when they choose automatic debit.

Recommended: Tips for Student Loans Payoff & Repayment

Repaying Private Student Loans

Private student loans are generally repaid directly to the bank or financial institution that issued them. Borrowers can check their statements to see who the loan servicer is. Generally, payments can be made online.

The Takeaway

To find out who their loan servicer is, borrowers with federal student loans can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC): 1-800-433-3243 or log into their Federal Student Aid account. Federal student loan borrowers can also check the National Student Loan Data System to find information about their loan servicer.

Borrowers with private student loans will generally make repayments to the financial institution from which they borrowed the loan.

Refinancing with SoFi

When a borrower works with their student loan servicer, they can take advantage of free tools that might help them pay back their student loans easier.

But, for some student loan borrowers, the existing interest rates and repayment plans offered by a servicer might not be the best fit.

In that case, borrowers may have the option of refinancing student loans. This can be helpful when there are multiple loans to pay off since refinancing allows borrowers to combine multiple loans into a new single loan and qualifying borrowers may be able to secure a lower interest rate.

Refinancing federal student loans eliminates them from all federal benefits and borrower protections, such as income-driven repayment plans and deferment.

SoFi’s student loan refinancing offers flexible terms, and low or variable interest rates. With no hidden fees or pre-payment penalties, borrowers can apply for refinancing in an easy online process—no phone calls required.

The first step to figuring out student loan repayment is figuring out who holds the loan, but with the right help, borrowers can have a plan set up to conquer their loans before the grace period is even finished.

Learn more about student loan refinancing options available with SoFi.

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External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Student Loan Refinancing
If you are a federal student loan borrower you should take time now to prepare for your payments to restart, including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. (You may pay more interest over the life of the loan if you refinance with an extended term.) Please note that once you refinance federal student loans, you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans, such as the SAVE Plan, or extended repayment plans.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO REFINANCE FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ANNOUNCED UP TO $20,000 OF STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR PELL GRANT RECIPIENTS AND $10,000 FOR QUALIFYING BORROWERS WHOSE STUDENT LOANS ARE FEDERALLY HELD. ADDITIONALLY, THE FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT PAUSE AND INTEREST HOLIDAY HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO DEC. 31, 2022. PLEASE CAREFULLY CONSIDER THESE CHANGES BEFORE REFINANCING FEDERALLY HELD LOANS WITH SOFI, SINCE THE AMOUNT OR PORTION OF YOUR FEDERAL STUDENT DEBT THAT YOU REFINANCE WILL NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE FEDERAL LOAN PAYMENT SUSPENSION, INTEREST WAIVER, OR ANY OTHER CURRENT OR FUTURE BENEFITS APPLICABLE TO FEDERAL LOANS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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If you fail to make a student loan payment by its due date, your loan becomes delinquent, and there are all sorts of consequences that can result, from late fees to having your loan sent to collections. These consequences will typically depend on how long your loan is delinquent and whether you have a federal student loan or a private loan.

If you miss a student loan payment, take action immediately so you can work to avoid these consequences.

Federal Student Loan Late Payment Penalties

If you fall behind on federal student loan payments, you can expect the following consequences:

Late Fees

Your loan becomes a delinquent payment the day after you miss a payment. During the first 30 days of your delinquency, your loan servicer may charge you a late fee penalty. Your loan servicer will determine when to charge you a penalty and how much to charge.

Damaged Credit

If your loan is delinquent for 90 days or more, your servicer will report the late payments to the three major national credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—which keep track of consumer credit scores.

A delinquent loan can potentially damage your credit score. A lower credit rating can make it more difficult to open a credit card, take out loans to buy a house or a car, and limit your ability to obtain other types of consumer credit.

A low credit rating means that lenders likely see you as a greater risk. As a result, borrowers with a less than stellar credit score may qualify for a high-interest rate or be subject to less favorable terms for lines of credit or loans than a borrower with a more competitive credit score.

Credit scores can impact other areas of life too. For example, someone with a low credit score may have trouble signing up for homeowner’s insurance options and utilities or even getting approved to rent an apartment.

Recommended: How Do Student Loans Affect Your Credit Score?

Default

If your loan is delinquent long enough, it can go into default. The timeline for this varies depending on the type of loan you have.

After 270 days of delinquency, loans made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program or the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program go into default.

For loans made in the Federal Perkins Loan Program, a default may be declared more quickly such as soon as a payment is late.

Borrowers with a Perkins Loan, which stopped being made by the federal government in 2017, can contact the school that made the loan or the school’s loan servicer to learn more about repayment requirements.

Once a federal loan goes into default, it can trigger the following consequences, among others:

•   The entire loan balance becomes due immediately, including any interest that you owe. This is a process known as acceleration.
•   Deferment or student loan forbearance, which allow borrowers to temporarily suspend loan payments, are no longer options. Borrowers may also lose the ability to choose a repayment plan.
•   You lose eligibility for additional federal student aid, so you won’t be able to take out federal student loans in the future should you decide to go back to school.
•   Your transcript is the property of the school you attend, and your school is allowed to withhold it until you are out of default.
•   Your tax refunds may be withheld to repay your defaulted loans. This process is known as a Treasury offset. The government will send a notice of intent to your last known address before these offsets begin, and they will continue until your loan is repaid or the default status of your loan changes.
•   Your employer may be forced to garnish your wages. This means that they will withhold up to 15% of your paycheck and send it to your loan holder to repay your loan. The government will send a notice that explains the intent to garnish your wages in the next 30 days. At this point you may have a chance to enter into a voluntary repayment agreement.
•   You may be taken to court by your loan holder, and you may be liable for court costs, collection fees, attorney fees, and other costs.
•   You are liable for the cost of collecting your defaulted loans. Your default loan may be placed with a private collections agency, which may charge 17.2% of your outstanding balance, including interest and fees. Before your loan is sent to collections, the Department of Education will send you a notice explaining how to avoid this outcome and how to avoid having it reported to the credit bureaus. Having a defaulted loan turned over to a private collections agency can significantly increase the total cost of the loan. That’s because when you make a payment after your loan has been sent to collections, the 17.2% collections cost is taken out first and the remainder is put toward paying off your loan.

Recommended: Types of Federal Student Loans

Private Student Loan Late Payment Penalties

When you miss payments on private student loans, you may face similar consequences as when you miss federal payments. However, private lenders can choose the actions they pursue, and they may operate on completely different timelines.

For example, they may report late payments to credit bureaus or declare that a loan is in default faster than with federal loans.

Private lenders do not have the option of accessing your tax refund to pay back your defaulted loan. However, they can take you to court to gain the ability to garnish your wages.

Lenders may have different policies when it comes to late or missed payments on student loans so check with your lender directly if you have questions about a private student loan.

What To Do If You Miss A Payment

First things first: When you miss a payment, contact your lender immediately and let them know. This is your chance to clue them into any financial hardships that you might be experiencing. For example, if you missed a payment due to job loss or a medical emergency, there may be things your lender can do to help.

If paying off your loans looks like it will be difficult for the foreseeable future, consider deferment or forbearance. Federal student loan deferment is a program offered by the government that allows you to pause student loan payments for up to three years.

The deferment can give you time to put your finances back in order so you can start making regular payments again. Those with direct subsidized loans won’t usually be responsible for paying the interest that accrues over the deferment period. On the other hand, those with unsubsidized loans, are on the hook for those interest payments.

Forbearance can allow you to stop making payments for specific periods. This program can help you if you’re facing short-term emergencies. Unfortunately, interest continues to accrue on your loans, adding to your total cost over time.

Private lenders may or may not have an option that allows borrowers facing financial difficulties to pause their payments.

SoFi, for example, offers Unemployment Protection which allows qualifying borrowers to temporarily suspend monthly payments. Check with your lender directly to see what options are available for your private student loans.

If you have a federal student loan in default, consider enrolling in a student loan rehabilitation program. To rehabilitate a defaulted Direct Loan or FFEL Program Loan you’ll enter into an agreement with your loan holder under which you’ll make nine affordable monthly payments, each within 20 days of its due date. And you’ll need to make all nine payments during a 10-month consecutive period.

To rehabilitate a Perkins loan, you’ll have to make full monthly payments each month (within 20 days of the due date) for nine consecutive months. Your loan holder will determine the monthly amount you’ll pay.

The Takeaway

Late student loan payments can have consequences for borrowers. For many federal loans, after 90 days of missed payments, the late payments will be reported to the three major credit bureaus. This has the potential to negatively impact an individual’s credit score.

After 270 days of missed payments, a borrower’s loan will be placed in default where additional consequences can kick in. These consequences can include the full total of the loan being due immediately, wage garnishment, and more.

The consequences for late payments on private student loans may vary by lender but can include things like late fees and the loan being sent to a collections agency.

Taking Action

Missing a student loan payment can lead to some serious consequences, especially if you let it go for too long. Understanding the consequences and taking action immediately can help you avoid some of the most serious effects and keep you on track to eliminate your debt.

If the cost of a student loan has become too much, one option borrowers may consider is refinancing to a loan with better terms and a lower interest rate.

Note that refinancing is not the right option for everyone, and borrowers who have struggled to make payments on an existing loan or have a low credit score may not qualify for more competitive terms on a refinanced loan.

Refinancing a federal loan also results in the elimination of federal benefits, such as deferment or forbearance which may be useful tools for borrowers who are struggling to make on-time payments on an existing student loan.

Check out SoFi to learn more about the refinancing student loan options available.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Student Loan Refinancing
If you are a federal student loan borrower you should take time now to prepare for your payments to restart, including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. (You may pay more interest over the life of the loan if you refinance with an extended term.) Please note that once you refinance federal student loans, you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans, such as the SAVE Plan, or extended repayment plans.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO REFINANCE FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ANNOUNCED UP TO $20,000 OF STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR PELL GRANT RECIPIENTS AND $10,000 FOR QUALIFYING BORROWERS WHOSE STUDENT LOANS ARE FEDERALLY HELD. ADDITIONALLY, THE FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT PAUSE AND INTEREST HOLIDAY HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO DEC. 31, 2022. PLEASE CAREFULLY CONSIDER THESE CHANGES BEFORE REFINANCING FEDERALLY HELD LOANS WITH SOFI, SINCE THE AMOUNT OR PORTION OF YOUR FEDERAL STUDENT DEBT THAT YOU REFINANCE WILL NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE FEDERAL LOAN PAYMENT SUSPENSION, INTEREST WAIVER, OR ANY OTHER CURRENT OR FUTURE BENEFITS APPLICABLE TO FEDERAL LOANS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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