Student loan repayment options

“Understanding Your Student Loan Repayment Options” webinar

Presented by the University of California and the U.S. Department of Education. Originally aired July 27, 12 p.m. PT on Zoom. Rewatch below.

Payments on federal student loans are resuming this fall, but new options are available that can make payments more manageable and save borrowers money.

The pandemic-initiated pause on federal student loan repayments is ending this fall. Interest will start accruing on loans on Sept. 1, and borrowers can expect to receive their bills sometime in September, with payments resuming in October.

But before you start repayments, know that help is on the way — new, revamped programs from the Department of Education have been designed to make managing student loan debt easier.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid held a webinar on July 27, co-sponsored by the University of California, to explain the new options. Knowing your choices can save thousands of dollars and discharge outstanding loans much sooner.

This 1-hour webinar was recorded and can be viewed at the link below.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:49 Federal Student Loans Return to Repayment

07:08 Income-Driven Repayment

21:05 Saving on a Valuable Education (Save Plan)

29:21 Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

42:21 Permanent Protections

44:12 Next Steps

47:56 Q&A

Everyone’s situation is unique and we understand many people may still have questions. Your first stop: Talk to your student loan servicer. If you do not know who your servicer is, choose a link below.

For borrowers who were in repayment before and are going to resume payments — StudentAid.gov/restart

For borrowers who haven’t made a payment before — StudentAid.gov/firstpayment

For information on new income-driven repayment plans — StudentAid.gov/save

For borrower-specific inquiries, reach out to the U.S. Department of Education at fsaengagement@ed.gov.

Finally, be aware of scams. They often promise fast loan forgiveness and require upfront fees for assistance. Remember: You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Learn more about fraud and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Webinar hosts:

Shawn Brick, Executive Director, Student Financial Support, UC Office of the President
Bonnie Latreille, Student Loan Ombudsman for the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid
Aprí Medina, Associate Director, Student Financial Support, UC Office of the President