A top priority of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Administration is providing all Washingtonians with a fair shot so they can share in the District’s prosperity and economic growth. Pursuing higher education is one of the best ways to achieve this goal. However, this significant investment that District of Columbia residents may make for their future can be complicated when navigating financing and student loans.
Whether you’re entering repayment for the first time, struggling to understand your repayment options, facing servicing errors, or dealing with credit reporting, and default issues, our office is here to help. We provide free assistance to student loan borrowers living in the District, including prospective students, current borrowers, borrowers returning to repayment, and public service workers pursuing forgiveness.
The Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) is responsible for licensing student loan servicers operating in the District of Columbia. If you have a question or need help, contact the DISB Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman (OSLO) at 202.727.8000 or [email protected].
Role of the Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman
OSLO is a free, confidential, and unbiased resource for District residents who have questions or concerns regarding their student loans. Our office helps borrowers understand their repayment options, escalate their complaints to student loan servicers, and exercise their rights under District and federal law.
What We Can Help With
We support borrowers by:
- Explaining funding and repayment options, including income driven repayment (IDR) plans, forgiveness pathways, and strategies for managing interest and monthly payments.
- Helping borrowers determine eligibility for forgiveness or discharge programs, including:
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF),
- IDR forgiveness,
- Total and Permanent Disability discharge,
- Borrower Defense.
- Assisting with servicer communication, including helping borrowers understand notices, correct errors, and identifying required documentation.
- Reviewing and escalating complaints about student loan servicers, such as complaints related to long hold times, lack of responsiveness, inaccurate billing, payment application errors, or incorrect credit reporting.
- Providing education and outreach, including webinars, presentations, and tools to help borrowers avoid delinquency, default, and scams.
- Monitoring federal and District policy changes that affect borrowers and identifying patterns of servicer misconduct to inform consumer protection and regulatory work.
Your Rights as a District Borrower
District law gives student loan borrowers protections. You are entitled to:
- Timely, complete, and accurate information from your servicer
- Accurate credit reporting and the right to dispute errors
- Fair treatment during service transfers
- Clear information about repayment plan processing
- Protection from unfair, deceptive, or abusive servicing practices
If a servicer violates these rights, OSLO can help you submit a complaint, escalate issues, and understand your options under District and federal law. If your servicer is not responding or providing accurate information, contact our office.
What We Cannot Do
While we are committed to assisting borrowers, OSLO does not provide legal or financial advice. While we can escalate issues, request clarification, and document patterns of misconduct, we cannot force a federal or private student loan service to take particular action. We cannot do the following:
- Provide legal or financial advice
- Confirm, expedite, or process federal forgiveness, refund, discharge, or reconsideration requests
- Halt collection activities or override federal servicing decisions
- Force the US Department of Education to change a decision
When an issue falls outside our authority, we will help direct you to the appropriate federal agency, servicer, or legal resource. In addition to DISB, borrowers may also submit a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Student Aid.
Current Borrowers
Aspiring Postsecondary Students
Consumer Alerts
Student Loan Ombudsman Annual Progress Reports
Policy and Market Transparency
