Who Is My Student Loan Servicer? Here’s How to Find Out

Trying to figure out who’s managing your student loans? You’re not alone.

Whether you’ve just graduated or are picking up payments after a pause, knowing who your student loan servicer is can help you avoid missed bills, lost mail, or hours of confusion. This is the company that handles your payments, tracks your balance, and answers your questions about repayment.

If you have private loans, the lender and the servicer are usually the same. But with federal loans, the Department of Education assigns one of several servicing companies to your account. In this guide, we’ll help you figure out who your servicer is—and what to do if it changes unexpectedly.

Table of Contents

1. How to find out who your student loan servicer is
   1. If you have federal student loans
   2. If you have private student loans
2. Why do federal student loans have different servicers?
3. Can I change my federal loan servicer?
4. Can I change my private loan servicer?
5. Why did my federal loan servicer change?

How to find out who your student loan servicer is

The first step? Know whether you have a federal or private student loan. Many borrowers have both, especially if they needed extra help covering college costs.

Not sure which you have? Pull your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. Federal loans will show the U.S. Department of Education or one of its servicers. Private loans will show up under the name of your bank, credit union, or online lender.

If you have federal student loans

Here’s how to find your servicer:

1. Go to StudentAid.gov and log in with your FSA ID.
2. From your dashboard, scroll to the “My Loan Servicers” section.
3. You’ll see the name and contact info for your current servicer:

Prefer to call? You can also reach the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

If you have private student loans

Check your original loan documents or log in to your lender’s website. Still can’t find it? Pull your credit report—it will show the lender that currently holds your loan. If your loan has changed hands, look for recent emails or letters notifying you of the new servicer (and don’t forget to check your spam folder).

Why do federal student loans have different servicers?

The government hands off loan servicing duties to private companies to keep things running smoothly. These servicers:

• Collect your payments
• Handle questions and repayment plans
• Track your loan’s status and history

Some, like MOHELA or Aidvantage, serve most federal borrowers. Others, including ECSI, handle Perkins Loans or TEACH Grants. You don’t get to pick your servicer unless you consolidate your loans, but your experience can vary depending on who’s managing your account.

Read More

The Complete List of Federal Student Loan Servicers

Can I change my federal loan servicer?

Not usually—but there’s one exception. If you consolidate your federal loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, you can choose from a few available servicers at the time of application.

Some borrowers consolidate just to switch to a servicer with better customer service. But keep in mind, this won’t lower your interest rate—it just combines your loans into one with a new term.

Refinancing with a private lender will change your servicer, but you’ll also lose access to federal benefits like income-driven repayment, forgiveness programs, and deferment. So it’s not a move to make lightly.

If a client is weighing federal benefits versus refinancing, we start by reviewing their financial stability and long-term goals. Clients with variable income may be better off keeping federal loans for the flexible repayment options. But if they’re financially stable and can qualify for a lower interest rate, refinancing could be worthwhile. I always conduct a break-even analysis to confirm it’s in their best interest.

Can I change my private loan servicer?

Yes, but it takes a little work. To switch private loan servicers, you’ll need to refinance your loan with a different lender. That means applying for a brand-new loan to pay off your current one.

Refinancing gives you a chance to:

• Lower your interest rate (if your credit or income has improved)
• Change your repayment term
• Choose a new lender with better benefits

Just remember: If your credit has taken a hit, you might get worse terms instead of better ones. Run the numbers and compare lenders before making the jump. Credible makes it easy to do this.

It’s our pick for best comparison shopping because it lets you compare actual prequalified rates from multiple top lenders in one place—without affecting your credit score. This makes it easy to find a better loan (and a better servicer) that fits your goals.

Why did my federal loan servicer change?

If you didn’t request a change but got a new servicer anyway, don’t panic. Here’s what might have happened:

• Your servicer’s contract with the Department of Education ended.
• You enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• Your loan type changed due to consolidation or default resolution.

Your loan terms—interest rate, balance, and monthly payment—stay the same. The only thing that changes is who you make payments to.

Bottom line

Knowing who your student loan servicer is helps you stay on top of your repayment plan and avoid expensive mistakes. Whether your loans are federal or private, take a few minutes today to check who’s handling them—especially if it’s been a while since your last payment.

And if your servicer changes? Keep calm. You still have the same loan, just with a new point of contact.