Dealing with student loans can be challenging to say the least. Students find it easy to borrow money to pay for college. But after graduation, they feel overwhelmed by the many complexities involved in repaying those loans. Many borrowers don’t understand how repayments work or when they need to start making those repayments. Many others are not aware that they have repayment options if they cannot afford their monthly payments. As a result, thousands of students default on their debt unnecessarily.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your student loans, these organizations can help repay student loans. Some offer student loan help for free while others change a small fee for their services.

What Kind Of Student Loan Help You Can Expect To Get

Student loan assistance organizations offer help repay student loans by helping navigate the repayment formalities and payment plan options.

If you can’t afford your monthly payments, they’ll help you explore your options. If you have federal student loans, they’ll help you determine which income-driven repayment plan may work for you. For private student loans, they may suggest refinancing your loans to lower the monthly payments and make them more affordable.

If you’ve defaulted on your debt, these organizations can help you figure out your next steps. The best solution for every individual depends on their unique circumstances. However, trying to figure out which solution is best can be difficult without expert help.

Student loan assistance organizations have experienced professionals. They will offer you the best advice on how to make your monthly payments affordable or how to recover from default. They will also help you evaluate eligibility for loan forgiveness and understand the eligibility for bankruptcy.  Last but not least, they will help you resolve disputes with your lender or loan servicers.

The one thing that these organizations do not do is help to fund your loans. They help you find the best solutions to your loan repayment problems without charging you a fee. But they won’t give you money or intervene on your behalf.

Who To Go To When You Need Help With Your Student Loans

Your Lender or Loan Servicer

Before reaching out to any organization, you must speak directly to your lender or loan servicer. They should always be your first point of contact when you have any questions about your loans. Lenders go out of their way to help their customers as that means they’ll get their money back without any hassles.

If you need help with your federal student loans, you’ll need to contact your loan servicer. Loan servicer is an organization that handles federal student loans on behalf of the federal government. The federal government funds these loans but they outsource the loan management to loan servicers. You can find the name and contact details of your loan servicer when you log into your Federal Student Aid account.

For help with private student loans, you’ll need to contact your lender directly. You can get the name and contact details of your private lender from your credit report. Request a copy of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. All your student loans will be listed in the report along with the name and details of lender for each loan.

If your lender or loan servicer is of no help or you have a dispute with them, you should consider approaching the organizations below.

Federal Student Aid Student Loan Support Center

The Federal Student Aid Student Loan Support Center is established by the U.S. Department of Education. They offer borrowers free help with any issues related to federal student loans including loan consolidation, income-driven repayment plans and deferment or forbearance options. They also offer free exit loan counseling services.

You can contact the Federal Student Aid Student Loan Support Center at their website or call them at 800-557-7394.

Student Loan Borrower Assistance

Student Loan Borrower Assistance is established and run by the National Consumer Law Center. This is free resource for student loan borrowers and their families. Through this site you can get help with all sorts of issues related to both, federal and private student loans.

Their website offers information and assistance related to repayment options, available student loan relief programs, and general loan management. You’ll also find valuable information on getting out of default, eligibility for student loan bankruptcy, and managing calls from collection agencies. If you need legal assistance, you’ll find helpful resources here too.

National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling agency. The NFCC works slightly differently from the earlier two student loan assistance organizations.

At the NFCC, you get one-on-one personalized counseling services from a finance counselor for a small fee. These fees are low or based on a sliding scale, which ensures that anyone who uses their services pays only what they can afford. Your counselor will help you work with you to tackle your debt after getting an overview of your finances. They will help you identify suitable repayment options and work on a suitable repayment plan. They also offer bankruptcy counseling if this is an option you’re considering.

Call 877-406-6322 or visit NFCC.org to get help with your student loan repayments.

The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA)

TISLA is a nonprofit organization that aims to ensure that all consumers have access to fair, free, student loan advice and dispute resolution services. Their website FreeStudentLoanAdvice.org acts as an informational hub where you can get advice on various issues related to student loans. This includes advice on choosing the best repayment plan, getting out of student loan default, and understanding deferment and forbearance. You can also find information on loan forgiveness and bankruptcy eligibility.

Managing student loans is tough. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and make mistakes that only make matters worse. If you’re struggling with your student loans, the organizations listed above can help repay student loans.