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☆ The Education Department will transfer some student loan borrowers to a different servicer. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

J. David Ake | Getty ImagesIf your current federal student loan servicer is Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, the U.S. Department of Education said it will soon transfer some student loan borrowers to different servicers. Change impacts Mohela borrowersThe Education Department began transferring a portion of Mohela's borrowers this week to different companies, it said in an April 29 blog post. "A different servicer will begin managing these loans and assisting these borrowers," the department said. The Education Department contracts with different companies to service its federal student loans, including Mohela, Nelnet and EdFinancial. Why the transfer is happeningWhat borrowers should do amid transitionBorrowers who are being transferred to a different servicer should receive alerts from Mohela and their new servicer, the Education Dept.

Persons: David Ake, servicer, Mark Kantrowitz Organizations: US Department of Education, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, U.S . Department of Education, Education Department, The Education Locations: Washington ,, Missouri, Mohela

☆ Student-loan borrowers faced 3.9 million billing errors after entering repayment, a new report from 4 Democratic lawmakers says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewLawmakers have highly scrutinized the return to repayment for millions of student-loan borrowers in the fall. Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ed Markey, and Chris Van Hollen released a report on student-loan servicer errors amid the return to repayment. Exclusively viewed by Business Insider, the report said servicers made over 3.9 million "billing-related errors" once repayment resumed. Still, the Democratic lawmakers said in their report that more could be done to help borrowers harmed by servicing errors. "To remedy servicers' historic failures and protect borrowers from future harms, there must be a path for debt relief for borrowers harmed by their servicers," they wrote in the report.

Persons: —, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, servicers, Nelnet, Aidvantage, MOHELA, Warren Organizations: Service, Democrats, Democratic, Business, Education Department, ED, Warren, BI, Public

☆ A major student-loan company is 'impeding' borrowers' debt cancellation and 'mishandling' their monthly bills, Elizabeth Warren says. She wants its CEO to face Congress.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMassachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has questions for the head of a major student-loan company — and she wants him to answer them in Congress next month. On Monday, Warren sent a letter to Scott Giles, the CEO of federal student-loan servicer MOHELA, inviting him to testify before the Senate banking committee on April 10. MOHELA was the first federal servicer to be punished by the Education Department for failing to fulfill its contractual obligations. "Your testimony will provide you with an opportunity to offer context on MOHELA's role as a student loan servicer at a time of significant transition for the federal student loan program," she added. Warren, along with other Democratic lawmakers, has previously scrutinized MOHELA's handling of student-loan borrowers' accounts.

Persons: —, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Scott Giles, servicer MOHELA, MOHELA, servicer, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Bernie Sanders, PSLF, I'm Organizations: Service, Public, Business, Education Department, Democratic, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Locations: Massachusetts, Nelnet

☆ After student loan forgiveness, the Education Dept. is sending some borrowers refunds. What to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

So far, almost 3.9 million borrowers have gotten their education debt erased, totaling $138 billion in relief . Under the U.S. Department of Education's income-driven repayment plans, student loan borrowers are entitled to get any of their remaining debt forgiven after 20 or 25 years. The companies earn a fee per borrower per month, which advocates say discourages transparency around loan forgiveness opportunities. "Loan servicers were not tracking the number of qualifying payments, and the automatic forgiveness was not occurring," Kantrowitz said. Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers, denied that the companies benefit by veering from the government's orders.

Persons: Joe Biden, Culver City Julian, Mark Kantrowitz, servicers, Nadine Chabrier, Kantrowitz, he'd, Scott Buchanan, Buchanan, Biden, who've, Persis Yu Organizations: Culver City, Culver City Julian Dixon Library, Education Department, U.S . Department of Education, U.S . Department, Center for, Lending, The Education, Finance, IRS, Student Loan, Alliance, Student, Protection Locations: Culver City , California, U.S

☆ After 35 years, he got $119,500 in student debt forgiven. Then the government refunded him $56,801
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Under the U.S. Department of Education's income-driven repayment plans, student loan borrowers are entitled to get any of their remaining debt forgiven after 20 years or 25 years. Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers, refuted that the companies benefit by veering from the government's orders. Shortly after Fox heard that his student loans were forgiven, he received a payment from the government for $56,801. When he told people he was still paying off his student debt, they scratched their heads. Over the decades, based on Fox's records which CNBC reviewed, he paid around $200,000 to his federal student loans.

Persons: Marlon, George, servicers, Nadine Chabrier, Fox, he'd, Scott Buchanan, Buchanan, I've, Marlon Fox, overpayments, Biden, Debbie Organizations: Biden, U.S . Department, Center for, Lending, The Education, Student Loan, Alliance, Palmer College of Chiropractic, CNBC Locations: forbearances

☆ Federal agency: Student loan company errors could 'pose serious risks' to borrowers, the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2022. When student loan servicers make errors by cutting corners or sidestepping the law, it can "pose serious risks to individuals and the economy," said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra. Borrowers experienced long phone hold times with their servicers, significant delays in the processing of their repayment applications, and inaccurate and untimely billing statements, the bureau found. The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that it would withhold payments to three student loan servicers as part of its efforts to hold the companies accountable. "Today's actions make clear that the Biden-Harris Administration will not give student loan servicers a free pass for poor performance and missteps that jeopardize borrowers," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, servicers, Mark Kantrowitz, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Washington , D.C, Financial, U.S . Department of Education, Finance, Biden, Harris Administration, Education Locations: Washington ,, EdFinancial, Nelnet

☆ Education Department penalizes Missouri lender for error that made 800,000 student loan borrowers delinquent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Department of Education will penalize student loan servicer Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, for its failure to send timely billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers. As a result of Mohela's errors, more than 800,000 borrowers were delinquent on their loans, the Education Department said in a statement Monday. Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said he believed this was one of the first instances of the government withholding payment from a student loan servicer. "It is only fair for the loan servicer to be penalized for mailing late statements." Federal student loan payments were on pause since March 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, but resumed this month.

Persons: servicer Mohela, Rich Cordray, Mark Kantrowitz, servicer, Kantrowitz, Mohela, servicers, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Braxton Brewington, Brewington, Biden Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Washington , D.C, U.S . Department, Education, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, Education Department, Finance, Federal, Mohela, CNBC Locations: Washington ,, Missouri, forbearance

NEW YORK (AP) — Karin Engstrom thought she’d be paying off her federal student loans for the rest of her life. It also credits borrowers for periods before the pandemic when they were allowed to pause or reduce payments due to financial hardships. “Info: Your student loans have been forgiven,” the letter read. Borrowers who have made 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments (depending on the repayment plan) qualify, if they hold direct loans or Federal Family Education Loans with the Education Department, including borrowers with Parent PLUS loans. The official Federal Student Aid guide to the Income Driven Repayment adjustment is a good resource for updates.

Persons: — Karin Engstrom, she’d, Biden, It's, servicers, Engstrom didn't, Harris, ” Engstrom, ” Patricia Vener, Saavedra, “, ”, who's, “ He's, Vener, Charles Schwab Organizations: Department of Education, Federal, Aid, Harris Administration, Edfinancial Services, WHO, Family, Education Department, Parent, WHAT, IF, of Education, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Hamden , Connecticut

☆ A major student-loan company says 'extensive servicing delays are a likely outcome' as borrowers transition back into repayment — and it could 'last well into 2024'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One company, MOHELA, said it anticipates "extensive servicing delays" due to a lack of resources. MOHELA also said it received 36,309 complaints from borrowers over the past year. AdvertisementAdvertisementA major student-loan company that services over 7 million borrowers isn't too confident about its preparedness to enter repayment in a few days. That's compared to the 3,469 complaints Maximus, another servicer, received, and 3,063 from servicer EdFinancial. It's clear some servicers are concerned about their abilities to manage this transition back into repayment — and borrowers will likely suffer the consequences.

Persons: MOHELA, —, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Nelnet, Warren, Joe Biden's Organizations: Service, Democratic, Public

☆ Student loan payments restart in October — here are changes borrowers can expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A new servicer, for someMillions of federal student loan borrowers will have a different servicer when payments resume in October. Impacted borrowers should get emails about the change, said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers. Borrowers previously with FedLoan should be transferred to MOHELA, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, he said. Another repayment optionFederal student loan borrowers can now sign up for the Biden administration's new loan repayment plan, and they could be enrolled in it by the time the bills resume. If your student loan servicer can't process your application for the SAVE plan by the time payments resume, it should place you in a temporary forbearance.

Persons: Julia Amaral, they'll, Granite State —, Scott Buchanan, Buchanan, FAFSA, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, servicer, Biden, they're, Joe Biden Organizations: Istock, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, Student Loan, Alliance, Finance, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, EdFinancial Services, Lakes Higher, Federal Services, Biden, Valuable Education, Public, Education Department Locations: That's, Pennsylvania, Granite State, MOHELA, Missouri, StudentAid.gov

☆ When student loan payments restart, many borrowers may have a different servicer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mementojpeg | Moment | Getty ImagesLook out for notices about the changeScott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers, said impacted borrowers should get emails about the change. Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz has been tracking the transfers. Borrowers previously with FedLoan should be transferred to MOHELA, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, he said. Accounts with Great Lakes Higher Education, Kantrowitz said, should be managed by Nelnet going forward. Also, Kantrowitz said, "whenever there is a change of loan servicer, there can be problems transferring borrower data."

Persons: Scott Buchanan, servicers, Buchanan, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, You'll Organizations: Student Loan, Alliance, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, EdFinancial Services, Lakes Higher, Federal Services Locations: MOHELA, Missouri, Granite State, StudentAid.gov

☆ Millions of student loan borrowers will have a new servicer when payments restart
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Borrowers who are being transferred to a different servicer should receive alerts via email, said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers. These notices will explain any steps you'll need to take, he said, and include information on your new servicer. watch nowBorrowers previously with FedLoan should be transferred to MOHELA, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, he said. Borrowers can check who their new servicer is by logging in to StudentAid.gov., Kantrowitz said. Also, Kantrowitz said, "whenever there is a change of loan servicer, there can be problems transferring borrower data.

Persons: Berk, Scott Buchanan, Kantrowitz, Buchanan, You'll Organizations: Istock, Student Loan, Alliance, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, EdFinancial Services, Lakes Higher, Federal Services Locations: MOHELA, Missouri, Granite State, StudentAid.gov

☆ A student-loan company at the center of a lawsuit blocking Biden's debt cancellation with a 'dubious record of customer service' just got a new contract to keep servicing millions of borrowers, Cori B
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department awarded five student-loan companies new contracts, including MOHELA. "No company should be profiting from the student debt crisis, especially MOHELA with their dubious record of customer service in the past," she continued. "My office will continue our work to hold student loan servicers accountable for their harm to our communities. Ultimately, there is still much work to be done to provide student debt relief, bolster college affordability, and begin the transition to a world without student debt at all." As Bush referenced, MOHELA is responsible for the whole PSLF portfolio, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments.

☆ 37 million student-loan borrowers will get 'the most affordable repayment plan ever' when new contracts with 5 companies go into effect next year, Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department awarded five student-loan companies new contracts to overhaul debt repayment. The department said the contracts will deliver "major improvements" for student-loan borrowers. "This additional funding is essential to support students and student loan borrowers," the press release said. But the Republican-controlled House is unlikely to approve more funding to facilitate student-loan programs. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, for example, proposed cutting spending for the Education Department to prohibit it from implementing student-loan forgiveness and creating a new income-driven repayment plan in his debt ceiling bill.

The student-loan forgiveness application is live on the federal student aid website. Over 8 million Americans applied for student-loan forgiveness using the beta version of the application, released on Friday, October 14. Can I still get student-loan forgiveness if I haven't filed my tax return? To receive a non-filing letter from the IRS, fill out Form 4506-T.Will the amount of student-loan forgiveness I receive get taxed? Parents whose children are also applying for student-loan forgiveness must file a separate application for debt relief for their Parent PLUS loans using the same application.

The federal student-loan forgiveness application is now open in beta-testing mode. Access the student-loan forgiveness application here. Here's what you'll need to have on hand to fill out the application and apply for student-loan forgiveness. Here's what the application looks like from a cell phone:The student-loan forgiveness application does not include income verification documents. If you received a Pell Grant, you are eligible for $20,000 in student-loan forgiveness.

Perkins loans that aren't held by the US government do not qualify for Biden's new student-loan forgiveness. To qualify for up to $20,000 in forgiveness, you must consolidate your loans into Direct loans. This may not be the best option for everyone, since some Perkins loans are forgiven after five years. Unlike federal student loans, some Perkins loans are serviced by the school you attended, but the federal government pays for interest accrued while you're still in school. studentaid.govOnly consolidate loans that are not Direct loans.

You'll receive $10,000 in student-loan forgiveness if you meet the income requirements. You'll receive $20,000 in forgiveness if you received a Pell Grant and meet the income requirements. If you meet the income requirements above and did not receive a Pell Grant, you're eligible to receive $10,000 in student-loan forgiveness. Which loans qualify for student-loan forgiveness? studentaid.govThere is no partial student-loan forgiveness for people who do not meet the income requirementAt the time of this writing, student-loan forgiveness is not available for people who make more than the income requirements outlined in Biden's plan.

Only loans held by the federal government are eligible for Biden's student-loan forgiveness. If you refinance your student loans with a private lender, those loans are no longer eligible. You must have the correct federal student loan type to be eligibleGenerally, only loans held by the federal government are eligible for Biden's forgiveness plan. If you refinance your student loans, you won't be eligible for Biden's forgiveness plan of up to $20,000. The long-term benefits of student-loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans outweigh the short-term benefits of refinancing with a private lender.

Some FFEL loans are federally-backed student loans held by private student loan servicers, and others are held by the US government. Student loan expert Sonia Lewis of the Student Loan Doctor explains, "FFEL loans are federally-backed loans that were funded by a private company." Those loans already qualify for student-loan forgiveness; if your FFEL loans have been on pause during the pandemic, they're eligible for forgiveness. If your FFEL loans are privately held, you'll need to consolidate them into Direct loans that are owned by the government to qualify for forgiveness. How to fill out a Direct loan consolidation applicationThe first step is to fill out a Direct loan consolidation application at studentaid.gov.

To qualify for forgiveness, FFEL and Perkins loan borrowers can consolidate into a Direct loan. Student loan expert Sonia Lewis, who has worked with over 20,000 clients to help them navigate their student loans via the Student Loan Doctor LLC, says most people don't know their loan type in the first place. studentaid.govHere's a list of all the different loan types, and whether or not they qualify for student loan forgiveness. If you have privately-held FFEL loans, you must consolidate your FFEL loans into a Direct loan to qualify for Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan. Additionally, if you refinanced your federal student loans with a private lender, those loans are no longer eligible for Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan.

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