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Who Is My Student Loan Servicer?
Updated On September 5, 2023
Editorial Note: This content is based solely on the author's opinions and is not provided, approved, endorsed or reviewed by any financial institution or partner.
Since student loans have been paused since March 2020, you may be wondering: “Who is my student loan servicer?” Whether you recently graduated or have been paying student loans for years, knowing your is critical for student loan repayment.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education assigned a new servicer to millions of student loan borrowers. Who is servicing your student loans now? Where do I send student loan payments? How do I know if Navient is my servicer? Here is everything you need to know.
In this guide, we will discuss:
- What is a student loan servicer?
- Who is my student loan servicer?
- Federal student loans: student loan servicers
- Private student loans: student loan servicers
- What happens when you get a new servicer?
- What should I do after finding my loan servicer?
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What is a student loan servicer?
According to the U.S. Department of Education, a loan servicer is a company that collects and manages your student loan payments. Student servicers also answer questions about student loans, explain options for student loan repayment, and provide information on student loan forgiveness. Effectively, the federal government has outsourced student loan customer service to third-party companies that work directly with student loan borrowers.
Your servicer will send you a monthly student loan bill, calculate your student loan payments, and can help you enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, for example.
Who is my student loan servicer?
To find out who’s your servicer, it depends whether you have federal student loans or private student loans.
Federal Student Loans
There are two main options for federal student loans:
- Option 1: Log in to Federal Student Aid (FSA) with your FSA ID. Scroll to the “My Loan Servicers” section.
- Option 2: Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243.
For federal student loans, the U.S. Department of Education will assign you a servicer after your student loan is first disbursed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, your federal servicer could have changed. Therefore, you should login to Federal Student Aid to learn if you have a new federal servicer.
Private Student Loans
If you have a private student loan, your servicer is most likely your lender. Many student loan lenders service their own student loans. For example, Navient and NaviRefi service their own private student loans.
However, some lenders use third-party lenders to service their private student loans. For example, MOHELA services private student loans for SoFi. If you’re unsure who your servicer is, contact your lender. Alternatively, check your student loan bill. Your student servicer’s name will be on your monthly student loan bill.
Perkins Loans
If you have Perkins Loans that are not owned by the U.S. Department of Education, contact the college or university where you received your Perkins Loan. Your school may be your servicer and can provide details about student loan repayment.
Federal student loans: student loan servicers
Here is how to contact each federal student loan servicer:
Aidvantage: 1-800-722-1300
Default Resolution Group: 1-800-621-3115
ECSI: 1-866-313-3797
Edfinancial: 1-855-337-6884
FedLoan Servicing: 1-800-699-2908
Great Lakes: 1-800-236-4300
MOHELA: 1-888-866-4352
Nelnet: 1-888-486-4722
OSLA: 1-866-264-9762
These servicers will manage your student loan payments if you have federal student loans, Direct Loans, subsidized student loans, unsubsidized student loans, Parent PLUS Loans and Grad PLUS Loans, for example.
Private student loans: loan servicers
To determine your loan servicer for private student loans, first contact your lender. There’s a good chance that your lender is also your loan servicer. If your lender isn’t your servicer, your lender can inform you which company manages your private student loans.
Login to your lender’s online portal to learn who’s your servicer for your private student loans. You can also check your monthly student loan bill to learn which company services your private student loans.
Alternatively, you can request a free credit report from all three credit bureaus on AnnualCreditReport.com to determine who are your lenders for your private student loans.
What happens when you get a new servicer
Your loan servicer is assigned after your student loan disburses. Typically, you can’t change your loan servicer unless you refinance student loans.
However, sometimes your loan servicer can change during the course of your student loan repayment. For example, the U.S. Department of Education could reassign your federal student loans to a new loan servicer. Alternatively, your private student loan could be sold and you could get a new servicer. If either scenario happens to you, don’t panic. Student loans are transferred to new servicers, and it could happen with your student loans.
If you get a new loan servicer, it’s important to know these key facts:
- Your interest rate won’t change
- Your student loan terms won’t change
- You will be notified in writing if your servicer changes
- You should update your contact information with your new servicer
- You will make monthly student loan payments to your new servicer
Practically, having a new servicer means you will send student loan payments to a different company. However, there won’t be any impact to your student loans rates or terms. If you don’t like your current servicer, a new servicer may be an opportunity to get better customer service for your student loans.
What should I do after finding my loan servicer?
After you find your servicer, there are several things to do. For example:
- Create an account. If you don’t have one, create an online account through their website. Choose a user name and password. You also may be asked to share information such as your Social Security Number, phone number and address. If you have an existing account, make sure to update your contact information. Updated contact information will ensure that you receive monthly student loan statements.
- Enroll in autopay. If you’re not enrolled in autopay, you can sign-up directly online with your servicer. Link your bank account to your student loan account, and your servicer will deduct automatic payments each month. With autopay, most lenders will give you a 0.25% discount on your student loan interest rate.
- Explore student loan options. While loan servicers don’t always provide the best advice, you can contact servicers with questions regarding your student loans. Your servicer can update your contact information, answer questions about your student loan bill, and help with student loan payments.
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