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The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. SHARE: Dragon Images/Shutterstock January 31, 2022 Dori Zinn has been a personal finance journalist for more than a decade. Aside from her work for Bankrate, her bylines have appeared on CNET, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Wirecutter, Quartz, Inc. and more. She loves helping people learn about money, specializing in topics like investing, real estate, borrowing money and financial literacy. Chelsea has been with Bankrate since early 2020. She is invested in helping students navigate the high costs of college and breaking down the complexities of student loans. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Defaulting on student loans isn’t uncommon, but it can do some serious damage to your credit and finances. That’s why it’s important to take action as soon as you know that you’re entering a cycle of late payments. If you’re looking for student loan help, explore these options to avoid any more setbacks. Organizations that can help with student loan debt
There are lots of national organizations that offer student loan help, sometimes for free and sometimes for a fee. Here are some of the most popular options and what they specialize in: : Loan consolidation, loan cancellation, applying for deferment or forbearance, choosing a repayment plan. : Loan forgiveness, default, repayment plan options, servicer disputes. : Finding an attorney. : Loan forgiveness, repayment plans, challenging collection attempts, loan consolidation, loan rehabilitation. : Repayment options, debt payoff plans. Sometimes local nonprofits also offer student loan help. To find these, Google “student loan help near me.” A national nonprofit may also be able to connect you with a local organization. If you’re still coming up short, search for student loan advisors or attorneys in your area. They often charge a hefty fee, but they may be able to direct you to organizations offering free or inexpensive assistance. Paying a one-time fee is worth the money if it helps you avoid the financial consequences of . Other ways to get help paying student loans
Sometimes you need more than just a little help with your student loans. These strategies can work well under those circumstances: Contact your loan servicer. If you’re on the verge of being late with a payment, reach out to your student loan servicer and explain the situation. In some cases, servicers will offer hardship programs to help you get back on track. The sooner you reach out, the more options you’re likely to have. Apply for deferment or forbearance. Both temporarily pause your student loan payments without negatively impacting your standing. Some private student loan companies offer forbearance options, but the exact length varies by lender. The current will end on Dec. 31, 2022, for federal loans. Look into income-driven repayment plans. Federal base your monthly payment on a percentage of your discretionary income and your household size. After 20 or 25 years, depending on the plan, the remaining loan balance is forgiven. These plans are available only for federal student loans. Refinance your loans. is when you take out a new, private student loan that pays off all of your other loans, then make one payment on your new loan. Refinancing can help you get a lower monthly payment by securing either a lower interest rate or a longer repayment term. However, you’ll lose all federal benefits if you refinance federal student loans. Explore debt relief or settlement. If you’re significantly behind on student loan payments and have exhausted all other options, you can explore . This is when a for-profit debt relief company settles your debt for less than what you owe. It’s a dangerous option, since companies typically have you stop making any payments on your outstanding debt. Instead, you’ll put money into an escrow-like account every month that goes toward the debt relief company. Your student loan servicer has no obligation to settle your debt for less than you owe, and working with a debt settlement company is not a guarantee that your student loan debt will be settled. Your credit score will also be heavily impacted by settling your debt, which could make it harder to qualify for a mortgage or other major loan. How to spot student loan relief scams
There are plenty of companies that pretend to offer student loan assistance, but instead of paying your student loan servicer, they take your money and keep it for themselves. Stay out of trouble by spotting student loan relief scams with these strategies: Check to see if it’s legit. will have consumer complaints on file about companies that offer debt settlement. If the company information doesn’t show up at all, that could be another red flag. Ask about hidden costs or fees. Real debt relief companies will disclose all of the costs and fees associated with the proposed program you’re interested in. If you don’t receive the fee disclosure, you may wind up with surprise charges. If a company charges a fee before any relief or settlement has been implemented, it might not be a legit debt settlement company. Look out for empty promises. If a company tells you about “new government programs” or guarantees relief of any kind, it may not be offering a real service. Settlement is never guaranteed, and you shouldn’t expect it as the norm. SHARE: Dori Zinn has been a personal finance journalist for more than a decade. Aside from her work for Bankrate, her bylines have appeared on CNET, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Wirecutter, Quartz, Inc. and more. She loves helping people learn about money, specializing in topics like investing, real estate, borrowing money and financial literacy. Chelsea has been with Bankrate since early 2020. She is invested in helping students navigate the high costs of college and breaking down the complexities of student loans. Related Articles