Student Loans

I read somewhere that there are more people coming out of college with excessive student loans then at any time in the history of the country.

Student loan borrowers in default now have more options than ever before to repay their student loans. The U.S. Department of Education's Collections Department is committed to assisting those in default by making repayment of their debts a simple process.

This site will provide you with information on the following loan programs: Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), which include Federal Stafford and Federal

PLUS loans. When placed in default, these loans are first assigned to a guaranty agency (an organization that administers the FFEL Program for your state) for collection. Periodically, guaranty agencies assign loans to the Department for collection.

Direct Loans. Federal Stafford and PLUS loans are also offered through the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. When placed in default, these loans are assigned to the Department's Debt Collection Service.

Federal Perkins Loans. When placed in default, Perkins Loans may remain with the school or be assigned to the Department for collection.

Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). In certain instances, you may have to repay part of a Federal grant that was awarded to you.

If you are not sure what type of loan you have, check your promissory note or use our National Student Loan Data System. If your loan is not one of the loans listed above, the information on this site does not apply to you.