Do I Really Need to Call My Student Loan Servicer?

No one likes calling their student loan servicer—that’s a fact. No one could deny that there’s little appeal to it: waiting on hold, being given bad information, bad or even ironic muzak…Unfortunately, there are times when it’s necessary, no matter how much we dread it, even in light of horror stories we hear about what might await us as soon as we push that little green button. The key is to know exactly when you have to call your servicer. There are, thankfully, a host of things you can do to manage your student loans without ever having to pick up the phone. 

Student Loans on the Web

Thanks to robust web support, you can accomplish much of what you need to do with your student loans online. The trick can be knowing where to go when you have different needs. Your two primary starting points are studentaid.gov and your loan servicer’s website. Both are important, but neither will likely give you everything you need over the life of your loan. Go to studentaid.gov for things like:

• Authoritative info about federal aid programs like PSLF, administrative forbearance, and more.
• Exploring or applying for a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan
• Consolidating existing federal loans into a new Direct Consolidation Loan. 
• Verify your qualifying employment, if you’re pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Your servicer’s website will be where you go for anything relating to your loans once they and your payment plan are all set. You can do things like:

• Update personal information like your address, email, etc. 
• Sign up for auto-debit
• Certify your income for your IDR plan—including if you’d like to lower your payment because your income has gone down.
• Get a statement of your monthly payment amount if you’re applying for a mortgage or other type of loan.
• If you’re pursuing PSLF, you can track the payments you’ve made and see whether they’ve been counted toward your 120 QPs.

When and How to Call Your Student Loan Servicer

If you have a need for quick changes, immediate response, or more complex information, you may need to give your student loan servicer a call. None of them, however, have a great track record of customer service. That said, if you can endure the endless phone trees and wait times, you could be rewarded with same-day results. Sadly, it can take a bit of maneuvering to get to someone who can truly be helpful. 

Borrowers are oftentimes routed through a series of representatives, each with—hopefully—more knowledge and authority than the last. The first person you talk to may not even have the ability to do any more than simply tell you general information about repayment or your account. Before you call, you want to have as much knowledge as you possibly can and know what you’re trying to accomplish. You may encounter representatives who don’t know what seem like basic policies who can, intentionally or unintentionally, cause more harm than good if you don’t have the wherewithal to correct them. 

If you’re feeling unprepared for the perils of phoning your servicer, or are unsure if you have all the necessary info, talk to your student loan professional first. Navigate will join you on the call with your servicer, just one of the things that sets us apart. We’ll keep things moving forward and make sure you get the information you need, and get timely, accurate results as you progress on your student loan journey!