There are two main types of student loans: federal student loans, backed by the government, and private student loans. Private student loans are often issued by companies like Chase or Citibank and are subject to their own special terms.
If you are curious how much you owe in federal student loans and what your options are for those loans, you can visit the Federal Student Aid website at https://studentaid.ed.gov and create an account to Log In to your Federal Student Aid. You can see your balances and servicer information.
If you have federal student loans, you are probably paying to companies like Navient. However, these servicers are often the biggest sources of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (link to: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/) and their agents may not be providing you accurate information.
For instance, if you want to enter into an Income Based Repayment plan or some similar program, there is information on the website and a location to apply for review for IBR and ICR programs.
If you need help with your student loans, use resources like this website to gather the facts and consult with one of our experienced attorneys. Bankruptcy may be able to help with some student loans, but there may be other options available to you.
By W M Law Attorney, Ryan Blay
