How to Find Your Student Loan Account Number

As 2022 brings major changes to federal student loan servicers, it’s important to keep detailed records of all your student loans (including your account numbers). If your loan servicer changes, your account numbers may also change.

There are two ways to find your student loan account number:

• Check letters or email correspondence. Your account number is typically listed on the first page of any messages your servicer sends.

• Check your online account. After you login, you’ll be able to find your account number on the servicer’s website.

Unfortunately, your student loan account number isn’t located on the U.S. Department of Education website, studentaid.gov. However, you can use that site to find the student loan servicer for your federal debt. Another option to learn which company services your loans is to call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

A student loan account number is a unique multi-digit number given to you by your student loan servicer. If you have more than one servicer, you will have more than one account number. Also, if you have federal student loans and private student loans with the same servicer, like Navient, you may have an account number for each loan type.

The main benefits of having a unique student loan account number are preventing identity theft and making it easier to claim the student interest deduction on your federal tax return.

Learn More: What Is Interest Capitalization On Student Loans?

Where can I find my student account number? You should be able to find your student loan account number on correspondence from your loan servicer. Correspondence might include a welcome letter, billing statement, loan balance, or past due notice.

Look for a 10-character ID, which may contain numbers only or numbers with letters.

You can also sign in to your higher education loan servicer’s website and look for your 10-digit account number there.

If all else fails, you can call your student loan servicer. Your servicer is a private company hired by the federal government to explain your repayment options and eligibility for loan forgiveness programs such as PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness).

Is my loan number my account number? No, your loan number refers to each individual loan. Your account number is different; it refers to all your loans with a single servicer. You can have multiple loan numbers with a single servicer, but only one account number for each servicer.

Learn More: When Do Student Loans Go Away?

Private student loans don’t have a 10-digit federal student loan account number. Account information is not standardized across all private loans.

Whatever bank or lender loaned you money should make your account info available via mail or email correspondence.

You may also be able to sign in to your private lender’s website and find your account info there. For instance, signing in to Navient requires your social security number and date of birth — not loan information like your account number.

To find the student loan account number for a defaulted federal loan, call the Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group, 800-621-3115. The representative can provide you with your ED ID, which is the account number for loans in default.

If the Default Resolution Group doesn’t have your loans, ask the representative to check the National Student Loan Data System to check for FFEL or Perkins Loans in default. If you do, contact the collection agency that has your loans and ask for your account number.

Here are 7 reasons you might need your account number:

• To verify your identity to a loan servicer

• To file your tax return properly with the IRS

• To look up student loan payment dates and amounts

• To see how much is left on your student loan repayment plan

• To access mobile banking

• To open a new credit card

• To refinance your student loans

The number of student loan account numbers you have depends on your situation.

• If you have all student loans with the same servicer, you will have one account number.

• If you have student loans with different servicers, you will have one account number per servicer.

• If you have federal loans and private loans with the same servicer, you may have more than one account number for each type of loan group.

Your student loan account number might look different, depending on which student loan servicer you’re with.

It’s hard to show examples without sharing private data or me holding a loan with one of these servicers. But here are 3 examples:

• Edfinancial offers a helpful screenshot on this webpage of what your account number will look like: 1 letter, followed by 9 numerals.

• On this Navient page under “Get monthly statements and correspondence,” you can see a video thumbnail example of an account number, which is 10 numerals.

• For OSLA, your account number is 1 letter, then 9 numerals, like the Edfinancial number.

You need to know who your servicer is to look up your student loan account number.

To find out who your federal student loan servicer is, log into the federal government’s student loan website with your FSA ID. If you don’t know your login (or just prefer the phone), call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at this phone number: 1-800-433-3243.

Keep your contact information up to date so your financial aid servicer can always stay in contact with you.

Who services federal student loans? Through 2021, there are eight federal Direct Loan servicers most borrowers work with:

• Heartland ECSI

• Edfinancial

• FedLoan Servicing

• Granite State

• Nelnet (Great Lakes)

• MOHELA

• Navient

• OSLA

As part of the NextGen Federal Student Aid effort, beginning in 2022, only five companies will service federal student loans:

• Edfinancial

• F.H. Cann & Associates

• Maximus (Aidvantage)

• MOHELA

• Trellis

UP NEXT: Who Do You Contact If You Have Questions About Repayment Plans?