Author: it-teaam

  • How to Qualify for a Mortgage With Student Loans

    How to Qualify for a Mortgage With Student Loans

    Student loans are often necessary to get a college degree or graduate degree, so they’re considered a smart investment. When it comes time to buy a house, however, many student loan borrowers may wonder how student loans impact your ability to get a mortgage.

    Lenders evaluate several criteria when you apply for a mortgage. This can include, for example, your student loans and other debt compared to your income. That said, it’s still possible to get a mortgage and buy a home, even if you have student loans.

    [refinance_student_loans_table]

    In this guide, we will explore:

    How to get a mortgage with student loans

    If you have student loans, the good news is that you can still get approved for a mortgage to buy a home. This is despite concerns from student loan borrowers who say student loan debt is one of the main reasons they have delayed buying a home, getting married or starting a family. To get approved for a mortgage with student loans, you need to demonstrate to your lender that you have sufficient monthly cash flow to pay for your mortgage, student loans, any other debt and your living expenses. One way that lenders evaluate your ability to afford a mortgage is your debt-to-income ratio.

    Before applying for a mortgage, make sure to compare the latest mortgage rates and lenders to find the best home loan for you.

    Debt-to-income ratio

    Your debt-to-income ratio compares your monthly debt payments with your gross monthly income. Lenders will especially focus on your mortgage payments, but they also may evaluate your other debt obligations such as student loan debt or credit card debt, for example. Your monthly debt payment for a mortgage may include your principal payment, interest payment and any private mortgage insurance (PMI) that you may be required to pay if your down payment is less than 20% of the value of your home.

    This mortgage calculator shows you your estimated monthly payment when you get a mortgage.

    To get approved for a mortgage, lenders typically prefer to have borrowers with a lower debt-to-income ratio. Typically, 43% if the highest debt-to-income ratio that borrowers can have to get approved for a mortgage. However, lenders prefer a mortgage borrower to have a debt-to-income ratio less than 36%, with no more than 28% being applied toward a mortgage payment or rent payment. That said, each lender may have its own underwriting criteria and consider debt-to-income ratios differently when approving a mortgage.

    How to increase your chances of getting a mortgage

    There are many steps that you can take to increase your chances of getting a mortgage. Each lender may evaluate separate criteria, but here are some common factors that could help determine if you get approved for a mortgage and what the cost will be:

    • Your income
    • Your debt
    • Your credit score
    • Your payment history
    • Purchase price
    • Amount of down payment
    • Mortgage repayment period

    To get a mortgage with the lowest rate, you will want a high credit score, history of financial responsibility, and a low debt-to-income ratio. Here are some strategies you can implement to improve your changes of qualifying for a mortgage with student loans:

    Increase your income

    If you can earn more money, it will improve your debt-to-income ratio. You can ask for a raise, get a bonus, or even start a side hustle. You might even consider getting a cosigner to help you get a approved for a mortgage and get a lower interest rate.

    Decrease your debt

    If you can lower your debt, this will also help improve your debt-to-income ratio. By paying off more debt, you will have more free cash flow each month that can be applied toward your mortgage. Lenders prefer to have borrowers with more monthly cash flow available to pay off debt because it decreases the risk of default.

    Increase your credit score

    You can also increase your credit score to show lenders that you are a responsible mortgage borrower. Lenders prefer to have borrowers with a higher credit score with a demonstrated history of financial responsibility. Two ways that you can demonstrate your financial responsibility by making on-time payments and not skipping any payments. You can also make sure you pay off your credit card balance in full each month. In a given month, ideally you will have a low credit card utilization ratio, which is the amount you charge on your credit card as a percentage of your total credit limit.

    How to pay off student loans

    To qualify for a mortgage, it may be helpful to pay off student loans faster. You don’t have to pay off all your student loans. However, there are several steps you can take to lower your student loan payments. Here are some examples:

    Make an extra student loan payment

    You can make an extra student loan payment to pay off your principal student loan balance faster. This extra payment student loan calculator shows you how much you can save when you make an extra lump-sum student loan payment. In addition to an extra lump-sum student loan payment, you can also increase your regular student loan payment by any amount. The incremental payment or monthly amount can be applied to reduce your principal student loan balance.

    Enroll in an income-driven repayment plan

    Another way to pay off student loans is to enroll in an income-driven repayment for your federal student loans. There are four main income-driven repayment plans:

    An income-driven repayment plan sets your monthly student loan payment based on discretionary income, family size and state of residence. With an income-driven repayment plan, you can get a monthly student loan payment as low as $0. Therefore, an income-driven repayment plan can help lower your monthly payment and improve your debt-to-income ratio.

    Get student loan forgiveness

    Another way to qualify for a mortgage with student loans is through student loan forgiveness. There are multiple options for federal student loan forgiveness that can lower your student loan debt. One popular example is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which Congress created in 2007. This program forgives federal student loans for student loan borrowers who work for a qualified public service or non-profit employer and make 120 monthly student loan payments. You will need to enroll an income-driven repayment plan and make at least a majority of your federal student loan payments for public service loan forgiveness through an income-driven repayment plan.

    This public service loan forgiveness calculator can help you determine which income-driven repayment plan can maximize student loan forgiveness for you.

    How to use student loan refinancing to get a mortgage

    Student loan refinancing is a helpful strategy that can help you get a lower interest rate, a lower monthly payment, or both. Student loan refinancing is the process of getting a new student loan with a lower interest rate from a private lender and using that new student loan to pay off your old student loans. You can choose a fixed or variable interest rate and student loan repayment period from 5 to 20 years. This student loan refinancing calculator shows you how much money you can save when you refinance student loans. Student loan refinancing can help lower your monthly student loan payment, which can improve your debt-to-income ratio and help you qualify for a mortgage. It’s advantageous to complete student loan refinancing before you apply for a mortgage, but you shouldn’t apply for student loan refinancing while a lender is evaluating you for a mortgage. If student loan refinancing lowers your monthly payments, you also may find it easier to pay student loans each month. Over time, this can improve your payment history, which too can increase your credit score.

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  • How to Get Best Home Improvement Loans

    How to Get Best Home Improvement Loans

    A home improvement loan can help you pay for home repairs as well as home renovations. With a home improvement loan, you can get a low-rate personal loan to remodel your kitchen, create a new bathroom, or make other essential home repairs.

    [personal_loans_table]

    In this article, you can learn the following about home improvement loans:

    What are home improvement loans?

    Home improvement loans are unsecured personal loans that can be used for home repairs and home renovations. Typically, you can get a low-rate home improvement loan up to $100,000, which could pay for a new kitchen, bathroom or even a swimming pool. When you borrow a home improvement loan, you can borrow the full amount upfront and then make monthly repayments from one to seven years. Since home improvement loans are unsecured, this means that you don’t have to pledge your home as collateral.

    How do home improvement loans work?

    Home improvement loans help you increase the value of your home. When you need to make necessary upgrades or want to remodel, home improvement loans can provide essential funding for these projects. Home improvement loans can be used for projects such as:

    Home maintenance

    Houses can deteriorate over time due to traditional wear and tear. As a result, you may need to make upgrades on both internal or external aspects of your home. These can be planned repairs, or in some cases, may be emergency repairs. These repairs also may be due to weather, condition of your home, or age of your home, for example. In either case, a home improvement loan can be a smart way to get fast funding to make these repairs. Home maintenance projects may include replacing a water heater, upgrading a boiler, fixing rain gutters, replacing plumbing, or updating electrical wires. You also may need to repair the deck or get a new roof.

    Home renovations

    Home renovations can be smart investments to increase the value of your home. Home renovations also can your house feel more like a home. When you renovate a home, a home improvement loan can be essential to get funding for your projects. Whether you’re remodelling a bathroom, updating your kitchen, or adding a new bedroom, a home improvement loan can get you funding quickly so that your projects don’t get delayed.

    What are the advantages and disadvantages of home improvement loans?

    It’s important to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of home improvement loans.

    Advantages

    Home improvement loans have several advantages. Home improvement loans have quick funding, so you can get them in your bank account typically within one or two days. Personal loans have monthly instalments, so that means you can pay back the loan over time each month. This makes repayment of personal loans consistent and predictable, so you always pay the same amount each month. Finally, having a personal loan can help improve your credit score. Why? Personal loans are a type of instalment debt, and you can build credit when you repay instalment loans each month in full and on-time.

    Disadvantages

    Home improvement loans also have several disadvantages. Since home improvement loans are unsecured, it’s possible that they could have higher interest rates than a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. That said, your final interest rate may depend on several factors, such as your income, credit, debt to income, and history of financial responsibility, among other factors. So, it’s possible that you could qualify for a competitive interest rate with a home improvement loan. Unlike a mortgage loan, the interest on home improvement loans aren’t tax deductible.

    What’s the best way to compare home improvement loans?

    There are several ways to compare home improvement loans.

    APR

    Start by comparing the APR, or annual percentage yield. The APR represents the total borrowing cost, including any fees, for the home improvement loan. Ideally, the goal is to find the lowest APR.

    Loan Terms

    Next, you should evaluate the loan terms and key features of the home improvement loan. For example, you can evaluate the loan amount for which you qualify. If you need a larger home improvement loan, for example, compare lenders to make sure you are approved for that amount. Similarly, you should evaluate flexibility of repayment. For example, a shorter loan term means you can save more money but your monthly payments will be higher. In contrast, a longer loan term means your monthly payment will be lower but you will pay more in total interest.

    Calculator

    This home improvement loan calculator will help you calculate your monthly payment to make sure it’s affordable.

    Application Process

    Find a lender that has an easy application process and can fund your home improvement loan promptly. This will help reduce any bureaucratic roadblocks.

    How do you get a home improvement loan?

    To get a home improvement loan, you should take several steps:

    Compare lenders

    Compare lenders, APRs, loan terms and key features of the home improvement loan. Your goal is to find the lowest rate and an affordable monthly payment

    Check your rate

    Most lenders let you check your rate before you apply. This is called a soft credit check and won’t affect your credit score. This can help you compare the cost of your home improvement loan. You can also check rates with multiple lenders with no impact to your credit score.

    Upload documents

    Before you apply, make sure you have documents ready to upload. This may include pay stubs, W-2s, financial information, proof of address and identification like a driver’s license or passport.

    Apply

    You can apply online for a home improvement loan. The process takes about 15 minutes, but may vary by lender. Most lenders make a decision within a few days, and funding can happen in as soon as a day.

    Should you get a home improvement loan?

    Many homeowners ask: “Should I get a home improvement loan?” As a homeowner, you’re likely to face both maintenance and renovation projects. Some of these projects may be annually; some may happen every several years. In either case, you may need to pay for these costs. A home improvement loan can be a helpful way to fund these projects. One key advantage of an unsecured personal loan to pay for home improvement projects is that almost any purchase can be covered.

    What are some alternatives to home improvement loans?

    There are alternatives to personal loans for home improvement projects. Some alternative options include a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit (HELOC), or a credit card, among others. That said, if you don’t want to use a credit card or tap your home’s equity, a personal loan may be preferred if you have good to excellent credit. Since most personal loans are unsecured, you won’t have to pledge your home or other assets as collateral. Personal loans also have a shorter repayment period. While monthly payments may be higher, you can save more interest over time since the repayment period for personal loans is typically one to seven years. Here are some alternatives to a personal loan:

    Home equity loan

    A home equity loan helps you tap the equity in your home without refinancing your mortgage to get a lump sum of money. This money can be used for home improvement projects. For example, if your mortgage has a low interest rate, you may not want to refinance. However, the interest rate on your home equity loan may be higher than your mortgage.

    Home equity line of credit (HELOC)

    A home equity line of credit (HELOC) can be used to finance home improvement projects. Unlike a home equity loan, a HELOC is a line of credit, which means you don’t get a lump-sum payment. Typically, with a HELOC, you could borrow up to 80% of your home’s value. Since a HELOC is a credit line, you would draw down on the credit line as needed to pay for your home improvement projects.

    Credit card

    You could pay for your home renovations with a credit card. Be careful, however, because interest rates on a credit card likely are higher than interest rates for a personal loan. One option is to use a 0% APR credit card, which may have a 0% Intro APR for a certain period of time.

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  • How to Refinance Medical Student Loans in Residency

    How to Refinance Medical Student Loans in Residency

    Student loan refinancing during medical residency or dental residency is an important decision that should be made carefully. With medical resident student loan refinancing, you can save thousands or tens of thousands on dollars on your medical student loans. You can refinance federal student loans, private student loans or both. When you refinance student loans during residency and fellowship, a private lender will give you a new student loan that will be used to consolidate and pay off your old student loans. Student loan refinancing helps you get a lower interest rate, lower monthly payment or both. The goal of student loan refinance during your medical residency or dental residency is to pay off student loans faster and get out of debt, which can be especially helpful when you have a large student loan balance from medical school or dental school.

    Here is a step-by-step guide how to refinance student loans in residency:

    [mr_slr_table]

    1. Decide student loan refinancing is right for you
    2. Compare lenders
    3. Compare interest rates
    4. Select student loan terms
    5. Apply
    6. Sign documents
    7. Student loan gets disbursed

    Decide student loan refinancing is right for you

    Determine what your financial goals are when you refinance student loans during residency. Do you want a lower interest rate? Do you want a lower monthly student loan payment? Do you want to save money? Do you want to pay off your student loans faster? Most residents who refinance student loans have at least some, if not all, of these goals. Refinancing private student loans is an obvious choice because you can pay as low as $75 or $100 per month during residency. If you plan to enter public service or plan to use an income-driven repayment plan such as IBR, PAYE, REPAYE or ICR, then you may want to not refinance federal student loans. However, if you don’t plan on seeking public service loan forgiveness or your future income or spouse’s income won’t give you the financial benefit of an income-driven plan, then you may want to refinance federal student loans now to get the maximum financing savings. Like private student loans, you can pay as low as $75 or $100 on your federal student loans too during residency when you refinance.

    Compare lenders

    Only certain lenders will refinance student loans during residency. To maximize your chances for approval for medical residency refinancing, you should apply to all these student loan companies to find the best student loan refinancing lender and student loan refinancing rates for you. You can evaluate interest rate, student loan repayment options, state of residency requirements, minimum credit score, minimum income and any other loan terms. There are many benefits to refinance student loans during residency, including:

    • Lower interest rates
    • Lower monthly payment
    • Improved cash flow
    • Save money
    • Pay off student loans faster
    • Better customer service
    • Ability to choose a fixed interest rate
    • Ability to choose a new student loan repayment term

    Compare interest rates

    Most lenders will allow you to check your interest rate before applying for medical resident refinancing. This process is called a soft credit check, typically takes a few minutes, and does not impact your credit score. Make sure to compare interest rates across lenders, including both fixed and variable interest rates. Fixed interest rates will remain the same over the life of your loan, whereas variable interest rates can increase or decrease over the life of your loan. Typically, variable interest rates are lower than fixed interest rates. This student loan refinancing calculator can show you how much money you can save when you refinance student loans during residency.

    Select your student loan terms

    Evaluate all loan terms, including interest rates, student loan payoff period, minimum credit score and minimum income, as some examples. You should evaluate how long you want to take to pay off your student loans. You can typically choose a student loan repayment term from 5 to 20 years. A shorter student loan repayment period such as 5 years will have a relatively higher monthly payments, but you will save the most amount of interest. In contrast, a 20-year student loan repayment period will have a relatively lower monthly student loan payment, but will cost you more in total student loan interest. Most lenders require a minimum credit score of 650, but the higher your credit score, the better. Lenders also may evaluate any other debt you have such as credit card debt or a mortgage. They also may evaluate your monthly cash flow to determine whether you can pay your student loans and other living expenses. Since student loan refinancing during residency results in a $75 or $100 monthly student loan payment, many borrowers can meet this requirement. Ideally, you would choose a lender that offers the lowest interest rate and a student loan repayment term that meets your unique financial goals. A shorter repayment period such as 5 years typically has a lower interest rate than a longer repayment period such as 20 years.

    Apply

    The application for student loan refinancing during residency typically takes 10-15 minutes to complete with lender and can be completed online. A lender may request the following documents:

    • Proof of citizenship or residency (government ID or Social Security Number)
    • Valid ID (driver’s license or passport)
    • Proof of income (pay stubs or job offer letter)
    • Transcripts or proof of graduation
    • Student loan statements (from your current lender)

    When you apply for student loan refinancing during residency, a lender will conduct a hard credit pull. If you apply to multiple lenders in a short time period, your credit report typically should only reflect one credit inquiry. Lenders may evaluate your credit score, debt-to-income and other debt obligations. You can also apply with a cosigner. A cosigner such as a parent, spouse or relative with a strong credit and income profile can help you get approved and get a lower interest rate.

    Sign documents

    Once you get approved and choose your lender, it’s time to sign your student loan documents and disclosures. This will include your Master Promissory Note, which governs the terms and conditions of your student loans.

    If you’re not approved for student loan refinancing during residency, you can ask your lender for feedback. You may not have been approved for several reasons, including your credit score, monthly cash flow, other debt or your debt-to-income ratio. It’s also possible that you need to apply with a cosigner to help you get approved and get a lower interest rate. Earning more income, cutting expenses or paying off debt may help increase your chances for approval.

    Loans get disbursed

    The final step in the process of medical resident refinancing is for your student loans to get disbursed. Your new student loan lender will pay off your old student loans. You should keep making student loan payments to your old lender until your new lender instructs you to start making student loan payments to your new lender. Make sure to update your autopay at this point. Most lenders will also discount your interest rate by 0.25% when you sign up for autopay.

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  • Nelnet Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    Nelnet Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    Nelnet is a leading student loan servicer for millions of student loan service borrowers. Nelnet is one of the four main student loan servicers of federal student loans. The other three are Navient, Great Lakes and American Education Services (AES).

    Here’s what you should know about Nelnet to maximize your customer service experience, if Nelnet is your student loan servicer. In this guide, we will discuss:

    [refinance_student_loans_table]

    Is Nelnet my student loan servicer?

    A student loan servicer such as Nelnet collects and manages your student loan payments. For federal student loans, the U.S. Department of Education assigns you a student loan servicer. That means that you cannot choose your student loan servicer, unless you choose to refinance your student loans. If you think Nelnt may be your student loan servicer, or if you’re not sure who’s your student loan servicer, then you can verify your student loans with these simple options.

    • Log into the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS): The NSLDS database includes all information about your student loans, including balances, history and student loan servicers. You can login with your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
    • Check your credit report: Your credit report will also tell you whether Nelnet is your student loan servicer. You can order a free credit report for all major credit bureaus from AnnualCreditReport.com.
    • Contact Nelnet: You can contact Nelnet directly to verify if Nelnet if your student loan servicer. The phone number for Nelnet is 1-800-236-4300.

    Nelnet student loan repayment options

    Nelnet offers several student loan repayment options:

    Standard Repayment Plan: A standard repayment plan lasts up to 10 years and the monthly installment payment remains the same throughout the repayment period.

    Graduated Repayment Plan: A graduated repayment plan varies throughout the repayment period. A graduated repayment plan starts with smaller monthly payments and increases over time.For a limited time, the monthly payment is typically interest only and smaller than the standard repayment plan.

    Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan: An income-sensitive repayment plan is based on monthly gross income and your amount of student loan debt. The monthly loan payment is based on a fixed percentage of gross monthly income, between 4% and 25%.

    Income-Based Repayment (IBR): Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is an example in an income-driven repayment plan, which lowers your monthly payment based on your discretionary income. With an income-driven payment, your monthly payment may be as low as $0.

    Income-Based Repayment (IBR): Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is an example in an income-driven repayment plan, which lowers your monthly payment based on your discretionary income. With an income-driven payment, your monthly payment may be as low as $0.

    25-Year Extended Repayment Plan: The 25-Year Extended Repayment Planlowers your monthly payment and extends the repayment plan from 10 years to 25 years.To qualify, you must have a current loan balance of at least $30,000 and your student loans were disbursed after October 7, 1998.

    Student loan borrowers with federal student loans also have access to income-driven repayment plansstudent loan forgivenessforbearance and deferment.

    Nelnet also helps you manage your private student loans, which Nelnet calls “alternative loans.” While federal student loans have more repayment options, Nelnet asks borrowers to contact them to discuss any difficulty with student loan repayment. You can also refinance your private student loans to get a lower interest rate. When you refinance student loans, you can save thousands of dollars and pay off your student loans faster. You’ll need a good to strong credit score, recurring income and low debt-to-income ratio. You can compare the latest student loan refinancing rates and find the best lender for you.

    How to make student loan payments to Nelnet

    Nelnet offers several ways to pay off student loans. You can sign up for auto pay and have your monthly student loan payments directly debited from your bank account. When you sign up for auto pay, you may receive a reduction in your student loan interest rate. You can also pay online on the Nelnet website.You can use your Nelnet student loans login. When you register on the Nelnet website, you will create user ID and password. To make a payment, you can sign in, click “Payments” and enter your payment information.

    Other options to pay student loans include through the Nelnet mobile app and by phone, mail and bill pay.

    How to contact Nelnet customer service

    There are various ways to contact Nelnet customer service:

    Nelnet Phone Number: 1-888-486-4722

    Nelnet Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern

    Nelnet Website: Nelnet.com

    Nelnet Email: Help@Nelnet.net or send an email with this Nelnet online email form

    Nelnet Social Media: Nelnet Facebook and Nelnet Twitter

    Nelnet Fax Number: 1-877-402-5816

    Nelnet Customer Login: https://www.nelnet.com/account/login

    Nelnet Upload Documents: You can upload documents to your Nelnet online account.

    Where to Send Payments To Nelnet: You should send your payment to Nelnet based on your account number.You can find your account number on your account statement. Account numbers are preceded by “E,”“D,” or “J”:

    Payments for accounts beginning with “E” to:

    U.S. Department of Education
    P.O. Box 2837
    Portland, OR 97208-2837

    Payments for accounts beginning with “D” to:

    Nelnet
    P.O. Box 2970
    Omaha, NE 68103-2970

    Payments for accounts beginning with “J” to:

    Nelnet
    P.O. Box 2877
    Omaha, NE 68103-2877

    Documents related to deferment, forbearance, repayment plans, or enrollment status changes:

    Nelnet
    Attn: Enrollment Processing
    P.O. Box 82565
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2565

    Documents related to loan discharge or forgiveness claims:

    Nelnet
    Attn: Claims
    P.O. Box: 82505
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2505

    Documents related to bankruptcy claims:

    Nelnet
    Attn: Claims
    P.O. Box: 82505
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2505

    Nelnet Mailing Address For General Correspondence:

    Nelnet
    P.O. Box 82561
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2561
    Fax: 877.402.5816

    California Residents:
    P.O. Box 82578
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2578
    WrittenRequest@nelnet.net

    How to file acomplaint against Nelnet

    If you want to complain about Nelnet customer service or file a complaint against Nelnet as your student loan servicer, you have several options. First, you can file a complaint with Nelnet’sstudent loan ombudsman. You can contact the Nelnet student loan ombudsman by calling 1-888-486-4722 or email nelnetcustomersolutions@nelnet.net.

    You can mail a complaint to:

    Nelnet Guarantor Solutions
    P.O. Box 82561
    Lincoln, NE 68501-2561

    You can also file a complaint against Nelnet with:

    You should maintain written communication between you and Nelnet. This may include your monthly statements, records of communication with a Nelnet customer service representative, emails and other correspondence.

    You may also contact the U.S. Department of Education Ombudsman:

    Phone: 1- 877-557-2575

    Mailing Address:

    U.S. Department of Education,
    Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group
    P.O. Box 1843
    Monticello, KY 42633

    The Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman Information Checklist is helpful to complete before contacting the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman.

  • Great Lakes Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    Great Lakes Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    Great Lakes is a leading student loan servicer for millions of student loan service borrowers. Great Lakes is now part of Nelnet, but operates independently as a student loan servicer.

    Great Lakes is one of the four main student loan servicers of federal student loans. The other three are Navient, Nelnet and American Education Services (AES).

    Here’s what you should know about Great Lakes to maximize your customer service experience, if Great Lakes is your student loan servicer. In this guide, we will discuss:

    [refinance_student_loans_table]

    Is Great Lakes my student loan servicer?

    A student loan servicer such as Great Lakes collects and manages your student loan payments. For federal student loans, the U.S. Department of Education assigns you a student loan servicer. That means that you cannot choose your student loan servicer, unless you choose to refinance your student loans. If you think AES may be your student loan servicer, or if you’re not sure who’s your student loan servicer, then you can verify your student loans with these simple options.

    • Log into the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS): The NSLDS database includes all information about your student loans, including balances, history and student loan servicers. You can login with your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
    • Check your credit report: Your credit report will also tell you whether Great Lakes is your student loan servicer. You can order a free credit report for all major credit bureaus from AnnualCreditReport.com.
    • Contact Great Lakes: You can contact Great Lakes directly to verify if Great Lakes if your student loan servicer. The phone number for Great Lakes is 1-800-236-4300.

    Great Lakes student loan repayment options

    OSLA offers several student loan repayment options:

    Standard Repayment Plan: A standard repayment plan lasts up to 10 years and the monthly installment payment remains the same throughout the repayment period.

    Graduated Repayment Plan: A graduated repayment plan varies throughout the repayment period. A graduated repayment plan starts with smaller monthly payments and increases over time.

    For a limited time, the monthly payment is typically interest only and smaller than the standard repayment plan.

    Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan: An income-sensitive repayment plan is based on monthly gross income and your amount of student loan debt. The monthly loan payment is based on a fixed percentage of gross monthly income, between 4% and 25%.

    Income-Based Repayment (IBR): Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is an example in an income-driven repayment plan, which lowers your monthly payment based on your discretionary income. With an income-driven payment, your monthly payment may be as low as $0.

    25-Year Extended Repayment Plan: The 25-Year Extended Repayment Plan lowers your monthly payment and extends the repayment plan from 10 years to 25 years.

    To qualify, you must have a current loan balance of at least $30,000 and your student loans were disbursed after October 7, 1998.

    Student loan borrowers with federal student loans also have access to income-driven repayment plansstudent loan forgivenessforbearance and deferment.

    Great Lakes also helps you manage your private student loans, which AES calls “alternative loans.” While federal student loans have more repayment options, AES asks borrowers to contact them to discuss any difficulty with student loan repayment. You can also refinance your private student loans to get a lower interest rate. When you refinance student loans, you can save thousands of dollars and pay off your student loans faster. You’ll need a good to strong credit score, recurring income and low debt-to-income ratio. You can compare the latest student loan refinancing rates and find the best lender for you.

    How to make student loan payments to Great Lakes

    Great Lakes offers several ways to pay off student loans. You can sign up for auto pay and have your monthly student loan payments directly debited from your bank account. When you sign up for auto pay, you may receive a reduction in your student loan interest rate. You can also pay online on the Great Lakes website.

    You can use your Great Lakes student loans login. When you register on the Great Lakes website, you will create user ID and password. To make a payment, you can sign in, click “Payments” and enter your payment information.

    Other options to pay student loans include through the Great Lakes mobile app and by phone, mail and bill pay.

    How to contact Great Lakes customer service

    There are various ways to contact Great Lakes customer service:

    Great Lakes Phone Number: 1-800-236-4300

    Great Lakes Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central

    Great Lakes Website: mygreatlakes.org

    Great Lakes Email: Email Great Lakes at borrowerservices@glhec.org

    Send an email through the Great Lakes website.

    Great Lakes Social Media: Great Lakes Facebook and Great Lakes Twitter

    Great Lakes Fax Number: 1-800-375-5288

    Great Lakes Customer Login: https://mygreatlakes.org/educate/login.html

    Great Lakes Mailing Address For Student Loans From U.S. Department of Education:Great Lakes
    P.O. Box 530229
    Atlanta, GA 30353-0229

    Great Lakes Mailing Address ForFFELP Student Loans:Great Lakes
    P.O. Box 3059
    Milwaukee, WI 53201-3059

    Great Lakes Mailing Address For General Correspondence:Great Lakes
    P.O. Box 7860
    Madison, WI 53707-7860

    How to file a complaint against Great Lakes

    If you want to complain about Great Lakes customer service or file a complaint against Great Lakes as your student loan servicer, you have several options. First, you can file a complaint with Great Lakes’sstudent loan ombudsman. You can contact the Great Lakes student loan ombudsman by calling 1-866-348-0708or email greatlakesservicingombudsman@glhec.org. You can also file a complaint on the Great Lakes website by completing a contact form.

    You can also file a complaint against Great Lakes with:

    You should maintain written communication between you and Great Lakes. This may include your monthly statements, records of communication with a Great Lakes customer service representative, emails and other correspondence.

    You may also contact the U.S. Department of Education Ombudsman:

    Phone: 1- 877-557-2575

    Mailing Address:

    U.S. Department of Education,
    Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group
    P.O. Box 1843
    Monticello, KY 42633

    The Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman Information Checklistis helpful to complete before contacting the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman.

  • OSLA Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    OSLA Customer Service: Overview and How to Contact

    OSLA, or the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority, services federal student loans for the U.S. Department of Education. OSLA services both Direct Loans and FFELP Loans. Here’s what you should know about OSLA to maximize your customer service experience, if OSLA is your student loan servicer. In this guide, we will discuss:

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    What is a student loan servicer?

    A student loan servicer collects and manages your student loan payments. If you have federal student loans, the U.S. Department of Education assigns you a student loan servicer when your student loan is disbursed to your college or graduate school. A student loan servicer may be different than your lender. You borrow a student loan from your lender, but you make payments to your student loan servicer.Student loan servicers can help you with student loan payments, but they are not necessarily acting as your financial advisor. Therefore, it’s important to understand all your repayment options because your student loan servicer may be acting in its own best interest rather than in yours.

    OSLA student loan repayment options

    OSLA offers several student loan repayment options:

    Standard Repayment Plan: A standard repayment plan lasts up to 10 years. If you consolidate your federal student loans, you can repay for up to 30 years. The payments are fixed amounts with a minimum of $50 per month.

    Extended Repayment Plan: An extended repayment plan gives you up to 25 years to repay your student loans.

    Graduated Repayment Plan: A graduated repayment plan starts with a low monthly payment and increases usually every two years. The repayment term is 10 years (and may be up to 30 years for a Direct Consolidation Loan).

    Income-Driven Repayment Plans: You can also enroll in an Income-Driven Repayment plan, which lowers your monthly payment based on your discretionary income. With an income-driven payment, your monthly payment may be as low as $0.OSLA offers several types of income-driven repayment plans:

    How to make student loan payments to OSLA

    The best way to make student loan payment is on the OSLA website. You can use your OSLA student loans login. When you register on the OSLA website, you will create an ID and password. Make sure to sign up for OSLA’s autopay programso that your student loan payments are automatically withdrawn from your bank account each month. This will help ensure that you don’t receive any late fees or negative impact to your credit score. When yousignup for autopay, you’ll also receive a 0.25% discount on your student loan interest rate.

    How to contact OSLA customer service

    There are various ways to contact OSLA customer service:

    OSLA Phone Number: 1-866-264-9762

    OSLA Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm CT

    OSLA Email: DLcustserv@osla.org

    OSLA Social MediaOSLA Facebook

    OSLA Fax Number: 1-855-813-2224

    OSLA WebsiteOsla.org

    OSLA Customer LoginOsla.org

    OSLA Mailing Address For Loan Payments:U.S. Department of Education — OSLA
    P.O. Box 4278
    Portland, OR 97208-4278

    OSLA Mailing Address For General Correspondence:Oklahoma Student Loan Authority
    P.O. Box 18475
    Oklahoma City, OK 73154-0475

    How to file a complaint against OSLA

    If you want to complain about OSLA customer service or file a complaint against OSLA as your student loan servicer, you have several options. First, you can file a complaint with the OSLA directly by contacting 405-556-9232 and speaking with the customer service supervisor.You can also file a complaint against OSLA with:

    You should maintain written communication between you and OSLA. This may include your monthly statements, records of communication with a OSLA customer service representative, emails and other correspondence.You may also contact the U.S. Department of Education Ombudsman:

    Phone: 1- 877-557-2575

    Mailing Address:

    U.S. Department of Education
    Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group
    P.O. Box 1843
    Monticello, KY 42633
    Make sure to complete the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman Information Checklist as well.

  • How to Get the Student Loan Interest Deduction

    How to Get the Student Loan Interest Deduction

    The student loan interest deduction allows you to deduct up to $2,500 on your federal income taxes for qualified interest payments made on your student loans.

    In this guide, we will address everything you need to know, including:

    1. Is student loan interest tax deductible?
    2. How to deduct student loan interest
    3. How to qualify for the student loan interest deduction
    4. Which student loans are eligible for the student loan deduction?
    5. Who doesn’t qualify for the student loan deduction?
    6. Can I deduct student loan payments?

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    1. Is student loan interest tax deductible?

    Yes, student loan interest is tax deductible on your federal income tax returns up to $2,500 of student loan interest each tax year. It’s important to note that in 2020, federal student loan interest was temporarily suspended due to the Cares Act (the financial stimulus package). This may impact your ability to deduct interest on your 2020 income taxes, since you may not have paid less student loan interest due to the Cares Act.

    If you are like many student loan borrowers, then your goal is likely to pay off student loans faster. The sooner you pay off student loans, the less student loan interest you will have. If you have a choice to pay off student loans or take a higher student loan deduction, you can likely save more money by getting a lower interest rate or paying off your student loans.

    2. How to deduct student loan interest

    Student loan interest can be deducted for both federal student loans and private student loans. When you prepare your federal income taxes, treat student loan interest as an above-the-line deduction.

    This means that student loan interest is not considered an itemized deduction. Since student loan interest is an above-the-line deduction, the amount of student loan interest you paid in a given year is subtracted from your taxable income.

    Student loan interest: taxes

    To deduct student loan interest on your income taxes:

    • $600 or more of student loan interest: Use Form 1098-E, which you will automatically receive if you paid more than $600 of student loan interest in a calendar year.
    • Less than $600 of student loan interest: If you paid less than $600 of student loan interest in a given calendar year, ask your student loan servicer for a student loan deduction form.

    You can still get the student loan interest tax deduction whether you paid more or less than $600 in student loan interest in a given year (up to $2,500 total).

    3. How to qualify for the student loan interest deduction

    To qualify for a deduction on student loan interest:

    • You must have modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of less than $70,000 if you are individual taxpayer.
    • You can receive a lower deduction if your MAGI is greater than $70,000 but less than $85,000.
    • The maximum deduction you can receive is $2,500.

    4. Which student loans are eligible for the student loan deduction?

    Importantly, only interest paid on qualified student loans are eligible for the deduction. This includes:

    • Student loans you borrowed: If you borrowed student loans for your own education, you can deduct student loan interest whether you are a current student or are no longer in school.
    • Student loans you borrowed for someone else: You can get the student loan deduction if you borrowed student loans for someone else. For example, if you borrowed a Parent PLUS Loan or your dependent child, you could qualify for the student loan deduction (assuming you meet other requirements).

    5. Who doesn’t qualify for the student loan tax deduction?

    There are several examples in which you may not qualify for the student loan interest tax deduction. This includes:

    • You earn more than $85,000 per year as an individual tax filer.
    • You can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s income tax return if you file as a single taxpayer.
    • You or your spouse cannot be claimed on anyone else’s tax return if you file as married filing jointly.
    • You are married and file your income taxes as married filing separately.
    • You paid no student loan interest in a given tax year.

    6. Can I deduct student loan payments?

    When it comes to student loan repayment, many borrowers wonder whether they can deduct student loan payments. There are many ways to pay off student loans, ranging from student loan refinancing to making an extra student loan payment.

    When you pay off student loans, you pay your principal balance (the amount you originally borrowed) plus any interest. You can deduct student loan interest payments on your federal income taxes. However, you can’t deduct student loan payments such as paying off your principal student loan balance.

  • How to Get a Navient Co-signer Release

    How to Get a Navient Co-signer Release

    If you have private student loans with Navient, you may be wondering how to get a Navient co-signer release. A co-signer may be a parent, spouse or grandparent who helped you get approved, and assumed financial responsibility, for your student loans. If you have a co-signer for your Navient loans, you may be wondering about a Navient co-signer release.

    How do you remove a co-signer from your Navient student loans? When you remove a co-signer, you can assume full financial responsibility for your student loans. You can seek to remove the co-signer from your Navient student loans directly with Navient. Alternatively, you can also refinance your student loans with a different lender. Student loan refinancing can help you to get a lower interest rate, save money and pay off your student loans faster.

    In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to get a Navient co-signer release:

    1. Meet the student loan payment requirements
    2. Use the Navient co-signer release form
    3. Show income and expenses
    4. Demonstrate proof of citizenship and graduation
    5. Provide names of your co-signers
    6. Submit the Navient co-signer release form

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    1. Meet the student loan payment requirements

    To release a cosigner from Navient student loans, you first must certain requirements. For example, you must graduate or complete your course of study. You also must make 12 consecutive, on-time private student loan payments. Remember, a co-signer release is for your private student loans, so your on-time payments must be for your Navient private student loans. Make sure that your payments include both principal and interest payments.

    2. Use the Navient cosigner release form

    Access the Navient co-signer release form. You can find the Navient co-signer release form on the Navient website.

    • Visit the Navient homepage.
    • Go to the “In Repayment” section of the main menu
    • Select “Private Student Loans”
    • Scroll to “Releasing A Co-signer”
    • Download the application to release a co-signer

    3. Show income and expenses

    On the application to release a co-signer, you will be asked to provide basic information such as your name, date of birth, contact information, citizenship and employment information. Be prepared to share your income and expenses. To show proof of income, you can provide a W-2, 1099, pay stub or even a recent income tax return. In terms of expenses, you may be asked to provide other debt obligations such as other payments for student loans, credit cards or mortgages.

    4. Demonstrate proof of graduation

    To get a release of Navient student loans, you will need to provide a college diploma or official transcript to show proof of graduation or course of study completion. Remember, you must graduate or complete your studies before you can get a cosigner release.

    5. Provide names of your co-signers

    Most student loan borrowers have one co-signer. However, it’s possible that you have more than one student loan cosigner. List the name of your cosigner or cosigners on your cosigner release application. This will indicate to Navient which cosigner or cosigners will be released from financial responsibility for your student loans.

    6. Submit the Navient co-signer release form

    Congratulations! You have finished your Navient co-signer release form. Don’t forget to sign the application. Now, it’s time to submit the form. You can mail your complete co-signer release form to:

    Navient

    P.O. Box 9640

    Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773

    Phone: 1-800-722-1300

    Fax: 1-800-443-9723

    Here is more information on how to contact Navient customer service.

  • Will Biden Cancel Student Loans?

    Will Biden Cancel Student Loans?

    Joe Biden’s election as the next president has many student loan borrowers wondering whether Biden will cancel student loans. The latest student loan debt statistics show that 45 million borrowers collectively owe more than $1.6 trillion. Among other policy priorities to stimulate the economy, Biden may consider student loan forgiveness.

    In this article, we will address Biden’s plan for your student loans, including the following:

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    Biden Plan to Cancel Student Loans

    During his presidential campaign, Biden committed to cancel up to $10,000 of student loan debt for every student loan borrower. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) were the first candidates to propose student loan forgiveness on the campaign trail. They both support plans to cancel student loans in greater magnitude, however. For example, Sanders wants to cancel all $1.6 trillion of student loan debt, including federal and private student loans. Warren wants to cancel student loans for 95% of student loan borrowers. Biden, who is more politically moderate than Sanders or Warren, previously didn’t support outright student loan forgiveness for all student loan borrowers. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden supports up to $10,000 of student loan forgiveness for each student borrower.

    Biden Plan For Tuition-Free College

    In addition to his plan to cancel student loans, Biden also supports “free college.” Specifically, Biden would make college “tuition-free.” This too would be a form of student loan forgiveness because students could borrow fewer student loans if their college was tuition-free. Here’s how his plan would work:

    • 4-Year Public Colleges: If you attend a four-year public college or university, your tuition would be free.
    • 2-Year Public Colleges: If you attend a two-year community college, your tuition would be free. You may also qualify for free tuition at a trade school or similar career program.
    • HBCU’s and MSI’s: You could receive up to two years of free tuition at HBCU’s and MSI’s as well as tribal colleges.

    Tuition-free college would not be available to every student. Your family must earn less than $125,000 annually to qualify. Remember, tuition-free college only covers tuition and related fees. However, other college expenses such as room and board would not be free.

    Biden Plan for Student Loan Forgiveness

    Biden also has plans to revamp student loan forgiveness, and these plans are related to his plans to cancel student loans and offer tuition-free college. For example, Biden would forgive your student loan debt if you meet these qualifications:

    • Public colleges: If you have federal student loans from a public college or university, you could receive student loan forgiveness.
    • HBCUs and MSIs: If you have student loan debt from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) or a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), then you also could receive student loan forgiveness.

    Like tuition-free college, your family must earn less than $125,000 to qualify. Plus, this student loan forgiveness only applies to undergraduate tuition. So, if you have graduate student loans, this student loan forgiveness wouldn’t be available to you.

    Separately, Biden also wants to simplify the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and help borrowers get student loan forgiveness after five years. Currently, borrowers must make 120 monthly payments, or 10 years, before they receive any student loan forgiveness.

    3 Ways to Cancel Student Loan Debt

    There are several ways that Biden could cancel student loans. Here are three potential ways:

    1. Cancel student loans through Congress
    2. Cancel student loans through a stimulus package
    3. Cancel student loans through an executive action

    The first two avenues to cancel student loan debt would occur through Congress. First, Congress could pass legislation encompassing Biden’s plan to cancel $10,000 of student loans for every borrower. Alternatively, Congress could agree to a stimulus package to help spur economy recovery. Within that stimulus deal, Congress could include second stimulus checks, unemployment benefits and student loan forgiveness, for example. Third, Biden could bypass Congress and try to cancel student loans through executive action. Some legal scholars believe that a president can cancel student loans through executive order. Others say that only Congress, not the president, can cancel student loans under the Separation of Powers clause in the U.S. Constitution.

    Plan to Cancel $50,000 of Student Loans

    Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) proposed a Senate resolution that empowers the president to cancel up to $50,000 of student loans through an executive order. A resolution is non-binding and express the sentiments of a member or members of the Senate. Therefore, this proposal is not law. If Congress grants the president the authority to cancel student loans, then Biden conceivably could cancel student loans through executive order. Absent congressional approval, it’s likely that if Biden cancels student loans through executive action, it could result in litigation to prevent the effort.