To find out if you're in default on your federal student loans, here are a few easy and reliable ways to check:
Log Into Your Federal Student Aid Account
Visit: studentaid.gov
- Use your FSA ID and password to log in.
- Go to the "My Aid" section on the right side of your screen to view all your federal loans.
- You can then scroll down to Loan Breakdown to see the current status of your loans.
If any loan says “in default,” it typically means you’ve missed payments for 270 days (about 9 months) on a Direct Loan and are currently in default.
Contact Your Loan Servicer
If you’re not sure who your servicer is:
- It will be listed on your studentaid.gov account.
- Call to ask if your loans are in default.
What If You Are in Default?
If you confirm you're in default, there are ways to fix it, like:
-
Loan rehabilitation
-
Loan consolidation
You can read more about the pros and cons of both of these programs here: https://bysavi.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005092894-I-am-nearing-in-default-on-my-student-loans-What-are-my-options