Between student loan forgiveness programs and the recent transfer of federal loan servicers, checking your student loans is essential. You want to know who owns your student loans and their statuses.
Whether you have federal, private, or a mix of both, we’ll show you how to check your loans to get all the information you need.
In this guide:
- How do I view my federal student loans?
- What is the status of my federal student loans?
- How do I view my private student loans?
- What is the status of my private student loans?
- Other ways to check your student loans
How do I view my federal student loans?
Viewing your federal student loans is easy.
You can do this in the following ways:
- Log in to the FSA website.
- Make a phone call.
- Visit your school’s financial aid office.
- Log in to your loan servicer’s website.
FSA website
The most common way to view your federal student loans is to log in to StudentAid.gov. To do this, you need your FSA ID and password. (It’s easy to retrieve your username or reset your password.)
Follow these steps to check your loan details:
- Visit StudentAid.gov and log in with your FSA ID.
- From the account menu, select “My aid.” This shows a snapshot of your federal financial aid.
- View details for each loan by selecting “View Loans” under the Loan Breakdown section toward the bottom of the page.
By phone
You can also check your loans by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243.
Loan servicer’s website
Accessing your student loan servicer’s site depends on your servicer, but StudentAid.gov provides a link to your servicer’s website and contact information alongside your loan details.
School financial aid office
Your school’s financial aid office can also help you check your loan information. It has access to your federal loan servicers, balances, and other details you might need before reaching out to your servicer.
No matter which method you choose, we recommend taking note of the following as you gather your loan details.
List each loan’s servicer, along with its:
- Monthly payment
- Principal balance
- Current balance
- Interest rate
- Due date
- Loan type
If you have several student loans with different servicers, this can help you budget and ensure you aren’t missing payments.
What is the status of my federal student loans?
To find the status of your federal student loans, you can use the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This system contains all the details about your federal student loans.
Here’s how you can check the status of your loans on the NSLDS:
- Visit the NSLDS website.
- Log in with your FSA ID and password.
- View the list of all your federal loans.
- Select the blue number to the left of the loan you want a status for.
- Review the Loan Status and Loan Status Description columns for your loan status.
You’ll find a loan status for every loan you see in this system. Of the many loan status codes, these are the most common:
| Code | What it means |
| RP | In repayment |
| FB | Forbearance |
| IG | In grace period |
| IA | Loan originated |
| DA | Deferred |
| DU | Defaulted, unresolved |
| IM | In military grace |
| PF | Paid in full |
Knowing the status of your federal loans will help ensure none are delinquent or in default. It’s also helpful when determining which loans are in repayment.
How do I view my private student loans?
If you have private student loans, you won’t see them on the NSLDS or the Federal Student Aid websites. You’ll have to go to the specific lenders you applied with.
If you’re unsure who your private lender is, the most straightforward way to find it is to check your credit report for the lender’s name and contact information. You can also find the name of your private lender on any notices or billing statements you get in the mail.
Finding your private loan details is different from the process for federal loans. Every private lender has a unique loan management platform and layout. However, most follow the same basic steps to view your loan information:
- Log in to your private lender’s website.
- Locate your student loan account under your profile.
- Select the student loan to view its details and status.
You can also get information on your private loans from your school’s financial aid office. The staff should be able to tell you how many private loans you have, the lender, and other details, such as the loan amounts.
You can use that information to contact your lenders and find out more about your loans.
As with federal loans, you’ll want to keep track of your private loans by including them in an organized list of all your loans.
Make a note of important details, including:
- Loan balances
- Due dates
- Monthly payment amounts
- Lenders
You can then stay on top of payments, keep tabs on your balances, and know whom to contact if an issue arises.
How to find all my private student loans
The easiest way to find all your private loans in one place is on your credit report. When you apply for a private student loan, your credit helps secure the loan. So you can review your credit report to see which loans you have.
You can access your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. Enter your personal information, and answer the security questions. Then you can download or print your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus.
You’ll see all your federal and private student loans when you review your credit report. Your credit report will show which lenders your loans are with and their contact information.
Your credit report is an excellent way to find information about your loans in one place, but other ways to locate all your private student loans include:
- Visit your school’s financial aid office.
- Sort through your mail and email for notices or statements from your lenders.
- If your loan was transferred, contact the original lender.
If you keep your mail, your private loan statements could be there. Sort through your mail (or email) to locate your private lender, and set up an online account to confirm your loan details.
If you find the original lender’s name, give it a call. It might tell you to which company your loan was transferred.
What is the status of my private student loans?
Now you know you can find your private loans on your credit report. However, you won’t find your loan statuses there.
Knowing whether your private loans are deferred, in forbearance, or in repayment can help ensure you pay your loans on time. To find the status of each loan, you’ll need to go to your lender in one of these ways:
- Log in to your online loan account.
- Review your most recent student loan statement.
- Call your lender.
Checking online is the simplest way, so if you haven’t registered for an online account with your private lender, you’ll want to set that up first. Then you’ll log into your account and select the loan to see its status. Do this for all your private loans.
As you track down every private loan and its status, match up the loan with what’s on your credit report to ensure you’ve located all of them. Next, note each loan’s status to determine which loans are in repayment.
You might find the following statuses on private student loans:
- Repayment
- Grace period
- Deferment
- Hardship forbearance
- Default
- Delinquent
If your loan status reflects delinquency or default, contact your lender to find the best option to get back in good standing.
Other ways to check your student loans
We’ve researched methods to help you pay off your loans faster.
Apps that can help you keep track of your student loans and put together a plan to pay them off include:
Most of these apps focus on helping you manage your debt through budgeting and calculating where you can allocate extra money. These apps can help users gain control of their finances and debt.
Changed caters to student loan debt. It helps you track your student loans and round up your debit card purchases to help you make extra payments toward your student loans.
Another favorite is YNAB. This app teaches you the financial fundamentals you may not have learned in school while helping you develop a budget and set debt payoff goals.
In addition, Ally Bank allows you to bucket money for monthly expenses so you don’t accidentally spend it. This is particularly helpful for borrowers who have a lot of debt and may continue to increase their credit card debt.