Falling Behind on Your Student Loan Repayments?
The DISB Student Loan Ombudsman educates District residents about their student loans and repayment options. The Ombudsman also helps District residents understand available resources for student loan consolidation opportunities, avoid student loan default, identify and report scams and resolve complaints with student loan servicers.
If you cannot afford to make payments on your student loans, forbearance and deferment processes allow for postponing payments. These processes require submitting a request to your student loan servicer with documentation that shows you meet the eligibility requirements for the deferment.
A loan deferment allows the borrower to temporarily stop making payments while a loan forbearance allows the borrower to stop making payments or reduce monthly payments for up to 12 months. Please note that with each choice, interest will accrue during the period of forbearance or deferment. To learn more about getting temporary relief, visit this site.
Federal Student Loans
Forbearance:
- Identify the type of forbearance: general or mandatory. General forbearance is at the discretion of your loan servicer. Mandatory forbearance must be granted if you meet certain criteria.
- Fill out the appropriate forbearance request form at studentaid.gov.
- Collect any necessary documents to show that you meet the eligibility requirements for the type of forbearance requested.
- Send the completed form and supporting documents to your federal student loan servicer.
- Use this list to find loan servicers for loans that the US Department of Education owns.
Deferment:
- Check if you qualify for a deferment based on your circumstances, such as being enrolled in school at least half-time, unemployment, or economic hardship.
- Obtain and fill out the appropriate deferment request form at studentaid.gov.
- Gather any required documentation to support your deferment request.
- Send the completed form and supporting documents to your federal student loan servicer.
- Use this list to find loan servicers for loans that the US Department of Education owns.
Contact Information for Loans Not Owned by the US Department of Education (ED)
- If you have Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans that are not owned by ED, contact your servicer for details about repayment options and tools. Not sure who your servicer is? Visit your account dashboard and scroll down to the “My Loan Servicers” section.
- If you have Federal Perkins Loans that are not owned by ED, contact the school where you received your Federal Perkins Loan for details about repaying your loan. Your school may be the servicer for your loan.
- If you have Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program loans and you’re not in default, contact your loan servicer for help with account-related questions. Use the contact information your loan servicer provided to you. Not sure who your servicer is? Look for the most recent communication from the entity sending you bills for your loan payments.
- After September 10, 2024, if you have a HEAL Program Loan and are in default, or have general HEAL Program questions, contact ED’s HEAL Program Team at 1.202.2975938 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns regarding your debt.
Private Student Loans
- If you have private student loans, some lenders will allow you to apply for a payment pause during hardship.
Questions? Call 202.727.8000 or send an email to [email protected] to make an appointment to talk to someone about forbearances and deferments.