Did you know that you can get a refund for any payment you made on your federal student loans during the repayment pause?
Payments eligible for refunds include auto-debit payments, but the payments must have been made beginning on March 13, 2020, to qualify.
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The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website says, “You can get a refund for any payment (including auto-debit payments) you make during the payment pause (beginning March 13, 2020). Contact your loan servicer to request that your payment be refunded.”
President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the federal student loan payment pause will continue through Dec. 31, 2022. The pause was issued during the pandemic to help provide financial relief for Americans. In addition to not having to make monthly payments, the pause also established a temporary 0% interest rate on all federal student loans.
Biden also announced a student loan forgiveness program that will provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans. Federal Pell grant recipients could receive even more, up to $20,000.
Borrowers whose individual income is less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples) are eligible for debt relief.
Here’s how to contact and identify your servicer
Here’s how to find out who your loan servicer is:
- Visit your account dashboard and scroll down to the “My Loan Servicers” section, or
- call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243.
List of loan servicers with links and phone numbers:
- FedLoan Servicing (PHEAA): 1-800-699-2908
- Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc.: 1-800-236-4300
- HESC/Edfinancial: 1-855-337-6884
- MOHELA: 1-888-866-4352
- Aidvantage: 1-800-722-1300
- Nelnet: 1-888-486-4722
- OSLA Servicing: 1-866-264-9762
- ECSI: 1-866-313-3797
- Default Resolution Group: 1-800-621-3115 (TTY: 1-877-825-9923 for the deaf or hard of hearing)