If you can’t resolve an issue directly with your servicer, here’s how to file a student loan complaint that gets results.
Updated Jan 11, 2024 10:09 a.m. PST · 3 min read Written by Eliza Haverstock Lead Writer Eliza Haverstock
Lead Writer | Student loan repayment, paying for college
Eliza Haverstock is NerdWallet's higher education writer, where she covers all aspects of college affordability and student loans. Previously, she reported on billionaires and investing for Forbes in New York, and she also covered private markets for PitchBook in Seattle. Eliza got started at her college newspaper at the University of Virginia and interned for Bloomberg, where she spent a summer writing a feature story about plastic straws. She is based in Washington, D.C.
Lead Assigning Editor Karen Gaudette Brewer
Lead Assigning Editor | Core Personal Finance, Student Loans, Public Policy
Karen Gaudette Brewer leads the Core Personal Finance team at NerdWallet. Previously, she guided students and their families through the ins and outs of paying for college and managing student debt on the Higher Education team. Helping people navigate complex money decisions and feel more confident brings her great joy: as the daughter of an immigrant, from an early age she was the translator of financial documents and the person who called the credit card company to fix fraud.
She joined NerdWallet with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms and leading editorial teams, most recently as executive editor of HealthCentral. She launched her journalism career with The Associated Press and later worked for The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, The Seattle Times, PCC Community Markets and Allrecipes.com.
She is a graduate of the 2022 Poynter Institute Leadership Academy for Women in Media. Her writing has been honored by the Society for Features Journalism and the Society of Professional Journalists. In addition, she’s the author of two books about the Pacific Northwest.
Fact Checked
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
The recent return of federal student loan bills may feel like a bad dream. And if poor guidance from your servicer, an incorrect balance or other account errors keep you up at night, consider filing a complaint.
Borrowers filed about 101,500 student loan complaints with the Federal Student Aid office in 2022 – more than double from 2021 – and that number is poised to increase this year as repayment starts.
A student loan complaint could resolve your issue and help other borrowers in similar situations. Here are expert tips on how to make a complaint that gets results.
Student loan complaints help flag errors in the system, like discrepancies with loan payments or balances, incorrect advice from your servicer, or a wrongfully denied student loan discharge or consolidation application.
Complaints generally don’t help with affordability issues. Consider an income-driven repayment plan or the 12-month student loan on-ramp if you’re struggling to pay. And if you have concerns about student loan policies, contact your Congress members.
Call your federal student loan servicer before making a formal complaint, says Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time, if you call the servicer and point it out, it will get fixed. But of course, that's not 100% of the time.”
Expect long call wait times — and don’t give up on your servicer if the resolution isn’t quick.
“Servicers are certainly making mistakes at this time, so if something seems wrong, ask your servicer first and try to get it escalated to a supervisor,” says Abby Shafroth, director of the National Consumer Law Center’s student loan borrower assistance project.
There are three main avenues for your student loan complaint: the Federal Student Aid office, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and state ombudsman offices. These organizations often collaborate and share information, so you don’t need to submit multiple complaints.
Most federal student loan borrowers should file their complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office, because it has the most power of any entity to directly address your issues, Shafroth says. You can do this through its online feedback center or by calling 800-433-3243.
Escalate to the FSA Ombudsman Group as a last resort. Do this in the online feedback center or call the FSA.
If you have a private student loan, file your complaint with the CFPB online , or call 855-411-2372. This organization also has oversight over the servicers that manage federal student loans. The CFPB’s complaint database is accessible by the FSA and state regulators, says Persis Yu, deputy executive director at the Student Borrower Protection Center.
If you live in Washington, D.C., or one of the 15 states with its own student loan ombudsman office, consider submitting your federal or private loan complaint there, instead of the FSA or CFPB, for a quicker resolution. Borrowers who complain to D.C.’s Student Loan Ombudsman office typically get a resolution within 30 days, says Ben Arnold, interim student loan ombudsman at D.C.’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
Get the scoop on student loans Stay up to date on how student loan forgiveness and repayment may affect your finances. GET STARTED
Keep your complaint brief and factual; focus on what happened and the desired resolution.
“My No. 1 tip for someone to file an effective complaint is to keep emotions out of it,” Mayotte says. “Yes, you're probably angry and frustrated and anxious, and I'm not discounting those things, but they don't make an effective complaint.”
Including details — like dates of calls and instructions you received — can expedite your resolution, Shafroth advises. Attach copies of relevant documents, like an incorrect bill or a loan discharge application you submitted.
A resolution or response to your complaint could get caught in a traffic jam — more than 28 million federal student loan borrowers will be expected to make a payment in October, the White House reported in August, and most are gearing up for their first payment in more than three years. A delay doesn’t mean the system isn’t working.
“Sometimes these complaints do feel like black boxes,” says Yu. “It is our experience that regulators are taking these complaints very seriously, but borrowers may not get a lot of feedback.”
Beyond solving your issue, a complaint may trigger an investigation that could help thousands of borrowers in similar positions, Yu adds.
If neither your servicer nor a complaint resolves your problem, consider contacting your members of Congress.
This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.
About the authorYou’re following Eliza Haverstock
Visit your My NerdWallet Settings page to see all the writers you're following.
Eliza Haverstock is a lead writer on NerdWallet's student loan team covering loan repayment and alternatives to traditional four-year degrees. See full bio.
On a similar note.
Best Private Student Loans Best Student Loan Refinancing Companies What Is the SAVE Plan for Student Loans? MORE LIKE THIS Repaying student debt Loans Student loansBorrowers can choose between four federal student loan repayment options, including some that offer student loan forgiveness.
A federal appeals court has temporarily and fully blocked SAVE — borrowers are in an interest-free forbearance until legal challenges resolve.
Spot your saving opportunities See your spending breakdown to show your top spending trends and where you can cut back. FIND EXTRA SAVINGS
Download the app
Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion® directly.
NerdUp by NerdWallet credit card: NerdWallet is not a bank. Bank services provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, member FDIC. The NerdUp by NerdWallet Credit Card is issued by Evolve Bank & Trust pursuant to a license from MasterCard International Inc.
Impact on your credit may vary, as credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations.
NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539
California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812
Insurance Services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no.OK92033) Insurance Licenses
NerdWallet™ | 55 Hawthorne St. - 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
