Navient Student Loans — Who Owns Them Now and What You Can Do Next
Updated on September 10, 2026
Navient doesn’t service student loans anymore. Two separate transfers, three years apart, moved them: the Department of Education’s Direct Loans went to Aidvantage on October 20, 2021, and the loans Navient owns itself — private loans and older FFEL loans — went to MOHELA on October 21, 2024.
Whether you qualify for forgiveness, settlement, or refinancing depends entirely on what type of loan you have — and who owns it now.
Navient’s loans left in two separate transfers three years apart, and who owned the loan decided which one moved yours.
Who Took Over Navient’s Loans
October 20, 2021 — Aidvantage. Navient’s servicing contract with the U.S. Department of Education, covering 5.6 million ED-owned Direct Loan accounts, transferred to Maximus, which runs the operation under the Aidvantage name. The transition was complete by the end of 2021.
October 21, 2024 — MOHELA. Navient handed servicing of its own portfolio — its private student loans and the older FFEL loans it owns — to MOHELA, and nearly 900 Navient employees moved with the work. Navient still owns those loans; MOHELA only services them.
Navient still exists and still owns the loans MOHELA services, but it no longer services student loans itself. Its name legitimately appears as the owner on credit reports and loan documents, and a private Navient loan that defaults comes back to Navient outright.
The quickest way to find out is to log in to StudentAid.gov.
Where to Look for Federal Loans
If your loan appears in your StudentAid.gov account, it’s federal — now serviced by MOHELA or Aidvantage.
If it doesn’t, it’s private — Navient likely still owns it, but MOHELA services it.
What It Means if Your Loan Isn’t Listed
Private loans don’t qualify for federal forgiveness, but you can explore settlement or refinancing instead.
Federal loans, on the other hand, still qualify for income-driven repayment and forgiveness programs — they’re just managed by your new servicer.
If your loans moved to MOHELA or Aidvantage, you’re still eligible for forgiveness — just not through Navient itself.
If Your Loans Moved to Aidvantage (Direct Loans)
These loans qualify for all federal forgiveness programs, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment forgiveness. SAVE is no longer available — its rule was vacated, and the current income-driven options are IBR and RAP. You’ll manage everything directly through StudentAid.gov.
Related: Aidvantage Student Loan Repayment & Forgivenss Programs
If Your Loans Moved to MOHELA (FFEL Loans)
These older FFEL loans only qualify for Income-Based Repayment (IBR) forgiveness unless you consolidate into the Direct Loan program. Once consolidated, MOHELA becomes your PSLF servicer and tracks your forgiveness progress.
Related: Navient Loan Forgiveness: Who Qualifies Now
If your loans didn’t transfer — or if they’ve since defaulted — settlement may be your best relief option.
When Navient Considers Settlement
Navient typically considers settlements after about six months of missed payments.
Private loan settlements often range between 30% and 60% of the total balance, depending on loan age, risk, and your finances.
What to Expect From a Settlement Offer
Federal settlements rarely go that low — they usually just remove recent interest or collection fees.
Before paying anything, confirm who owns the loan and get the agreement in writing to protect yourself.
Related: How to Settle Navient Student Loans
Navient’s lawsuits explain why so many accounts were transferred — and why some borrowers got automatic loan relief.
The Major Navient Settlements
2022 Multistate Settlement: Canceled $1.7 billion in subprime private loans and sent $260 checks to federal borrowers.
2023 Bankruptcy Settlement: Wiped out $182 million in loans that should’ve been discharged.
2024 CFPB Order: Permanently banned Navient from federal loan servicing.
2024 Puerto Rico Settlement: Forgave $7.7 million in private loans Navient made to island residents, plus about $1 million in restitution for federal borrowers steered into forbearance. Relief was automatic — here’s what the settlement means for Puerto Rico borrowers.
What’s Still Pending
A new Illinois class action accuses Navient of running a deceptive forgiveness program.
That case is ongoing and could reopen some claims, but nothing new is available to apply for right now.
Related:
Next Steps
Once you know what type of loan you have:
Federal loans: Manage payments and forgiveness through MOHELA or Aidvantage.
Private loans: Look into settlement, refinancing, or legal review if you’re in default.
Uncertain accounts: Call Navient’s Portfolio Management Unit at (866) 291-4403 to confirm ownership before paying anyone.
FAQs
Navient didn’t sell anything — it transferred servicing, twice. The Department of Education’s Direct Loans went to Aidvantage on October 20, 2021. The loans Navient owns itself, private and FFEL, went to MOHELA on October 21, 2024. Navient still owns that second group; MOHELA just runs the accounts.
No. Navient, Nelnet, and Ascendium are separate loan servicers. Sallie Mae used to own Navient before it spun off in 2014. They’re independent companies with different loan portfolios and programs.
Federal Navient loans were moved to MOHELA or Aidvantage, where you can still use income-driven repayment or PSLF. SAVE is no longer available—its rule was vacated, and the current options are IBR or RAP. The Parent PLUS program is unaffected—manage forgiveness and repayment directly through your new servicer, not Navient.
Yes, if your loan is current and meets Navient’s credit and payment history requirements. You’ll need to submit a cosigner release application through Navient and show consistent, on-time payments for several years.
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