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There are several legitimate programs that federal student loan borrowers can utilize to have their federal student loans forgiven. Unfortunately, there are also student loan forgiveness program scams. Confusion surrounding loan forgiveness can create space for scammers to thrive. Most commonly, companies will promise something that cannot be done, or charge an upfront fee for something that can be done online for free.

The real trick for borrowers will be distinguishing between a company that is providing student loan counseling in a fair and legitimate way from a company that is trying to take advantage of unsuspecting students.

Is Student Loan Forgiveness a Scam?

There are millions of students paying college student loans and the idea of having those student loans forgiven can be very appealing. There are legitimate student loan forgiveness programs that are available to federal student loan borrowers who meet the program requirements.

These include programs like Public Services Loan Forgiveness or the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. There may be other options for forgiving student loans, depending on your background and program requirements.

What Is a Student Loan Forgiveness Scam?

A student loan forgiveness scam is when a service makes a promise that they cannot deliver on. For borrowers looking to get out of student loan debt quickly, these promises can seem promising. Unfortunately, scams may offer impossible promises like immediate loan forgiveness or may trick student loan borrowers into disclosing personal information.

Types of Student Loan Scams

Student loan scams can take many forms. Be wary of scams that come in the form of unsolicited calls, texts, or emails.

Student Loan Forgiveness Scam Calls

If you receive an unsolicited call asking you for information about your student loans, pay close attention. Some calls may present opportunities to cancel student loan debt. In general, any call offering a fast solution to pay off your student loans is a scam. The U.S. Department of Education offers legitimate forgiveness programs and opportunities to lower your student loan payments, all of which can be accessed at no cost to borrowers directly through their loan servicers.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a sample of what these calls might sound like, so you can be prepared.

Student Loan Forgiveness Text Scam

Texting is another avenue for scammers to contact student loan borrowers. These communications might include the need to “act immediately” or tout enrollment for debt relief is taking place on a first-come first-served in order to inspire a false sense of urgency.

Text scams are newer on the scamming spectrum, so consumers may not be expecting them. Instead of responding to the message, call your student loan servicer on the number listed on their website. In general, most student loan servicers will not conduct business via text messages.

Spotting Student Loan Scams

When it comes to student loan scams, the short rule of thumb is that anything that sounds too good to be true, probably is. For example, if a company claims that with an up-front fee that your loans will automatically be forgiven, it is a scam. No program exists where loans are “automatically” forgiven for a fee.

If you have a feeling that you might be getting scammed, do a thorough internet search for the company. More than likely, someone else has been in contact with, and possibly taken advantage of by, this company.

The problem with relying on an internet search to look for a scam? Not every scam will have been identified through an internet search, as they change their names and phone numbers often to avoid the background research a consumer might conduct. Here are a few common techniques used by student loan scammers.

Upfront Cost & Fees

Any student loan company offering to help you for an upfront fee is a scam. According to the FTC, it is illegal for companies to charge you before providing assistance. And importantly, borrowers can get help directly from their student loan servicer or Department of Education at no cost.

Immediate Student Loan Forgiveness

Another huge red flag — organizations offering to provide immediate or complete student loan forgiveness. Most government loan forgiveness programs require a record of qualifying payments and or employment certifications depending on the program.

Requesting Passwords

Broadly speaking, legitimate companies won’t ask you to verify personal details out of the blue. If you receive a call, email, or text asking you to disclose your passwords or any other sensitive personal information, think twice before responding. Sharing personal details could allow scammers to access your loan information, or other important accounts.

Avoiding Student Loan Scams

Attention to detail and diligence in communication can help you avoid some common student loan scams. Here are eight student loan scams to avoid.

1. A Promise of Immediate Forgiveness

Beware of any promise that seems too good to be true. Student loan forgiveness takes time, period. A company can only help you fill out paperwork for a forgiveness program; they cannot forgive your loans.

2. A Request for an Upfront Fee

Many scams rely on obtaining an upfront fee for something that either cannot be done (immediate loan forgiveness) or something that can be done for free, online (apply for a loan forgiveness program). You should only agree to payment once the company has completed the service in question.

3. Private Loan Refinancing

In general, only federal loans are eligible for loan forgiveness programs. Be cautious of any company that tells you that they can get your private loans forgiven. Private loans don’t typically offer forgiveness programs.

4. A Phone Call

Many scams start with a student loan forgiveness call. The Department of Education, who directs federal loan forgiveness programs, will never call you. If they need to correspond with you, they will by mail.

5. A Request to Pay Them and Not Your Lender

No company will ever make your student loan payments for you. You can pay them for a service, sure. But it is unwise to make your student loan payments to anyone except for who you owe.

6. A Request to Stop Making Student Loan Payments

No legit company will ever recommend you stop making your loan payments. A company working in your best interest will advise you to make all of your payments on the correct repayment plan so that you’re sure to qualify for any applicable loan forgiveness programs.

7. Asking for Your FSA ID

No one should ever ask for your Federal Student Aid ID. Your FSA ID allows you to log onto the government website where borrowers manage their federal student loans.

8. Official-Looking Insignias

Fraudsters do a good job of making their websites, seals, and paperwork look like official government branding. Just because something looks official does not mean it is official, so do your research.

Reporting Student Loan Scams

If you encounter any student loan scams, you can have a few different options for reporting them. You can report scams to the Department of Education through the Federal Student Aid website .

You can also report the business conducting the student loan scam to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . Anyone who has been contacted by what they believe to be a scam can also report it to the
FTC .

Looking for Safe Private Student Loans?

Not everyone qualifies for loan forgiveness. Others may not actually find that it makes the most sense for their own personal financial situation. (This may be especially true for loan forgiveness programs that require you to pay taxes on the forgiven balance, such as income-driven repayment.)

Those looking for a safe borrowing option may want to consider SoFi. Private student loans from SoFi have no fees and are available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, or their parents.

The Takeaway

Student loan scams rely on the borrower’s lack of understanding on how their loans, and loan forgiveness program works. Pay attention to texts, emails, or phone calls that over-promise on their ability to lower your monthly payments or have loans forgiven, as these are generally indicators that there is a scam, or other unfavorable business going on. If you have any doubt, contact your loan servicer directly to avoid falling into a scammer’s trap.

No matter what path you take with your student loans, always be sure to do adequate research. It’s hard to scam someone that understands their loans, and their options for repaying them.

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SOSL18153

Homeschooling has long been an option for parents looking to educate their children outside the traditional bounds of public and private schools. The movement gained momentum in the 1970s, when educational theorist John Holt argued that formal schools placed too much emphasis on rote learning.

Since then the number of homeschooled children has grown to 2.5 million, about 3% to 4% of the population of school-aged children. And it looks as if those numbers will continue to grow by an estimated 2% to 8% each year.

COVID-19 has turned traditional schooling on its head and increased interest in homeschooling. Many formal institutions have decided to switch to online learning to avoid the risk of spreading the virus through in-person instruction. As a result, more parents are wondering whether homeschooling is a good option for them.

While homeschooling methods can offer benefits, there are some downsides to consider as well. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of homeschooling that might help parents decide whether it’s the right path for them.

The Pros of Homeschooling

Creating a Unique Curriculum

Parents who wish to homeschool their kids have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the direction of their child’s learning. Depending on their child’s needs and interests, parents might choose to spend more time teaching their kids musical instruments, developing foreign language skills, or going on educational field trips.

Homeschooling can be a personalized curriculum that works best for a particular child, rather than trying to make that child fit into the confines of a pre-existing curriculum.

That said, rules for what a homeschool curriculum must cover vary by state, and states may require annual assessments to make sure children are on track.

Tailoring the Child’s Education to Their Needs

The traditional school day and curriculum functions on a relatively strict schedule. Each subject tends to be given the same amount of time. And teachers must move at a certain pace in order to make sure they cover everything the curriculum requires.

This one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t necessarily work for all learners. For example, while a child may be a whiz at math, they may need extra time learning to read.

Parents of homeschoolers can adjust schedules to make sure that kids are spending enough time on the subjects in which they need the most help, while avoiding lingering too long on subjects that come easily.

Some kids may have challenges learning in a traditional classroom setting with 20 other kids and multiple distractions. Maybe a child works best with long blocks of uninterrupted study, or maybe they work best in shorter blocks of time with short bursts of physical activity outside in between tasks.

Parents may learn that some subjects are best taught at certain times of day. For instance, maybe a child is most focused in the morning, making it a good time to cover more challenging subjects, saving easier tasks for the afternoon.

Cost Saving

Homeschooling may be a good option for parents who are dissatisfied with their local public schools but don’t want to pay for private school. On a moderate budget, homeschooling could cost $300 to $500 per child each year. That figure assumes that parents are taking some money saving measures, such as saving money on school supplies, buying used textbooks, renting or borrowing curricula, and leaning on the public library as a resource. But it also assumes they’ll be spending on a few extras like tutors as needed and extracurriculars like art classes.

On the other hand, the average private school tuition is more than $11,000 per year. Parents who can devote their time to teaching their kids at home have the opportunity to save a lot of money, especially if they are teaching multiple children at the same time.

The Cons of Homeschooling

Increased Workload

While there are plenty of benefits, it’s also important to weigh some factors that could be considered disadvantages of homeschooling. Chief among these is the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to homeschool a child.

In many ways, homeschooling is a full-time job, requiring careful planning each day to make sure kids are covering the necessary ground.

Depending on where parents live, adding the extracurriculars that can make sure a child has a well-rounded education can be difficult. Living in a rural area may make it difficult to find extracurricular classes outside the home or make frequent visits to a museum or experience other cultural activities in person.

Social Constraints

Traditional schools have a built-in social structure. Kids are gathered into one class and learn to interact with each other and work together. Some parents may fear their children won’t learn proper socialization if they are homeschooled.

While homeschoolers don’t necessarily have the same opportunities to socialize, there are still plenty of ways for parents to make sure their children are making friends and interacting with peers.

For example, parents may consider homeschooling co-ops, groups of families of homeschoolers that come together to go on field trips, work on life skills or do extracurriculars that traditional schools might offer, and homeschoolers might otherwise miss.

Opportunity Costs

Not only will parents be paying out-of-pocket for costs associated with homeschooling, there are also opportunity costs—the loss of a potential gain when choosing one alternative over another—to consider.

A parent who stays home to teach a child is usually not spending that time at work earning a salary. For many parents, this is a worthy sacrifice to ensure their child gets the education they need. But parents should consider opportunity cost when deciding whether homeschooling is an affordable option.

Researching Homeschooling Options

There are a wide variety of homeschooling options and resources available to parents, from fully developed private, online homeschool curricula to web-based public schools that allow students to follow a public school curriculum at home.

Some school districts may even allow kids to go to school part-time while completing some of their schoolwork at home, a compromise that some parents might feel is the best of both worlds.

When selecting a curriculum, look for the best options that meet you and your children’s needs, making sure that it aligns with the legal guidelines for your state and will meet your state’s evaluation standards.

Preparing for the School Year

Whether you choose to homeschool or stick with a traditional school setting, students will still need school supplies. Homeschoolers’ lists may look different than those from your neighborhood school, but looking for back-to-school sales will typically save parents money on these supplies.

Using a bank account like SoFi Checking and Savings® can be a great way to spend on back-to-school supplies—while saving and earning.

For parents who want to save ahead of time for school supplies, setting up a checking and savings account can be a good way to make sure the funds are there when they’re needed.

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SOMN20074

Even though common sense might suggest that repaying any loan should be straightforward—that all you have to do is send money until you don’t owe any more—there is actually a fair amount of strategy involved. When it comes to repaying federal student loans, there are many ways to think about taking them on.

Having a game plan for eradicating student loan debt is a good idea: In the United States alone, 45 million borrowers hold more than $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, and payments to tackle that mountain of debt have been slowing, on the whole. Those numbers and that trend underline the necessity that a borrower knows how to shoulder debt while reducing it.

So here’s a guide that offers tips for repaying federal student loans. Are you the calculating sort? Our student loan payoff calculator is a good tool for getting an idea of your loan payoff date. (The Education Department also has a calculator if you want to play around with your numbers.)

As outlined in the CARES Act, and extended by executive order, both the suspension of loan payments and the 0% interest rate on loans held by the Department of Education are set to expire after Aug. 31, 2022.

Repaying Federal Student Loans

1. Taking Advantage of the Grace Period

An important factor to determine your strategy to pay off a federal student loan is when you are expected to make your first loan payment. This deadline can dictate the rest of your actions. According to the Federal Student Aid office , for most student loans, there is a set period of time after a student graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment before payments begin.

This grace period could be six to nine months, depending on the program a student received a loan through. As the date of the first payment draws closer, the loan servicer should let the borrower know when the first payment will be due—but it helps to think of how to take advantage of the grace period in advance.

While it might be tempting to view the grace period as a time when you can sink your extra money into other things you want or need, it’s probably smarter to save up for when those payments will start coming due.

If you have a subsidized federal student loan, your loan will not accrue interest while you’re in school or during the grace period, so it helps make paying it off in the longer run less burdensome.

If you have an unsubsidized federal student loan, interest has been accruing since the loan was disbursed, so you could consider taking the time when you do not have to make principal payments to pay down some of the interest that accrued.

For more information on ways to pay off student loans, this link includes tips for budgeting during a grace period and others you can mull over in that time. Interest has a way of sneaking up on borrowers because they might have in mind only the principal amount when thinking about monthly payments.

Also be aware that some federal student loan programs can have an up-front interest rate reduction, which requires making a number of monthly payments on time to prevent the rate from increasing.

So, just as studying is important to one’s academic life, studying up on student debt strategies is important to your overall life.

Borrowers can also learn to harness momentum to pay off student loans faster.

2. Selecting the Right Repayment Plan

Federal student loans come with many options for repayment. The options that might be open to you will depend on the type of loan you took out.

This Federal Student Aid office brochure drills down on the most common plans and loans they apply to, and offers bullet points of comparison.

It also links to information on consolidating federal student loans. Refinancing loans is something else to consider.

Generally speaking, the most popular repayment plan for federal student loans is the Standard Repayment Plan. Part of the reason it’s the most popular is—wait for it—is that it’s the default plan borrowers will be designated for unless they request otherwise.

The Standard Repayment Plan affords borrowers up to 10 years to repay, with an expectation of fixed monthly payments of at least $50 during that time.

There’s also the Graduated Repayment Plan, which starts with lower payments that increase every two years. Under the plan, a borrower makes payments for up to 10 years.

With the Extended Repayment Plan, a borrower can take up to 25 years to pay the loan. There are specific eligibility requirements. The plan requires lower monthly payments than the 10-year Standard plan, though you will wind up paying more in interest for your loan than you would have over 10 years.

Then there are income-driven repayment plans, which are geared toward monthly payments that are intended to be affordable based on discretionary income and family size. These are meant to further lighten the financial burden for individuals who have additional ongoing expenses or obstacles.

As such, they offer a greater degree of flexibility on their terms—like the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan. With that plan, any outstanding balance will be forgiven if the borrower hasn’t repaid the loan in full after 25 years. (Income tax may still be owed on the amount that was forgiven.) Again, more details on each of these payment plans—and others—can be found in this Federal Student Aid office publication .

Some of these plans are good options if you are seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness—circumstances that apply if you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or nonprofit organization.

Many of the income-driven repayment plans may be good options if Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a light at the end of your federal student loan debt tunnel.

The Income-Based Repayment Plan is worth a mention, as monthly payments would be 10% to 15% of discretionary income, and payments are recalculated each year to factor in family size and discretionary income.

It’s normal to feel a little confused with so many numbers being thrown around. Our guide on fast ways to pay off debt makes a good addition to everything discussed so far.

3. Student Loan Consolidation

A Direct Consolidation Loan allows a borrower to consolidate multiple federal education loans into one loan at no cost. It’s just a way to minimize the headaches—and ulcers—that can stem from the obligation to make monthly payments on different loans.

It’s not usually a way to save money, as the new interest rate you get with a Direct Consolidation Loan is a weighted average of all your loans’ interest rates rounded up to the nearest eighth of a percentage point.

There is another asterisk in considering this option: Private student loans cannot be consolidated with federal student loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan. You can, however, pursue refinancing both types of loans with a private lender.

If you have solid credit and a stable income, among other personal financial attributes, it’s possible to qualify for a new loan at a lower interest rate.

But there’s an asterisk to this asterisk, which is that refinancing with a private lender can make you ineligible for the federal benefits and protections offered to qualified federal student loan borrowers, like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, income-driven repayment, deferment and forbearance.

4. Paying More Than the Minimum

A strategizer knows that there’s more to it than paying the lowest amount required every month on student loans.

A big reason to pay more than the monthly minimum is that student loan repayment is structured around amortization—a word you heard if you took an accounting or economics class that basically means a portion of fixed monthly payments goes to the costs associated with interest (what the lender gets paid for the loan) and reducing your loan balance (paying off the total amount owed).

Paying more than the minimum means you can accelerate reduction of the amount you owe rather than covering the interest—which is effectively the lender charging you for the privilege of having the loan in the first place.

That privilege isn’t exactly bragworthy, so it’s smart to make more than the minimum payment—however little more it might be.

One plan of attack for borrowers to consider is signing up for automatic payments through their federal loan servicer so the payments are taken directly from their bank account as they’re due.

The payment amount to be withdrawn can be customized, and there’s a discount for doing so: Those who have a Direct Loan will get an interest-rate reduction while participating in automatic debit.

Getting Student Loans Under Control

Nobody really enjoys thinking about student loans, but the upshot of that is the pain points associated with them are well known—and there are proven strategies to ease the pain and manage the process of repaying government student loans, whether going for a special payment program, consolidating, or refinancing.

All it takes is a little planning and a willingness to adapt those plans to the ways your life unfolds after you have that degree.

SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms and low fixed or variable rates. There are no application or origination fees. And getting prequalified online is easy.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
Terms and conditions apply. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are private loans. When you refinance federal loans with a SoFi loan, YOU FORFEIT YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR ALL FEDERAL LOAN BENEFITS, including all flexible federal repayment and forgiveness options that are or may become available to federal student loan borrowers including, but not limited to: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, extended repayment plans, PAYE or SAVE. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Learn more at SoFi.com/eligibility. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

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.

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.
Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.