Advertiser Disclosure
You're our top priority.
We want you to be able to make decisions about your student loans with confidence. We offer objective, independent, straightforward guidance on student loans and refinancing lenders. While our site doesn't answer every question or have every lender, we are proud to provide the information and tools you need — free of charge — to make the best decisions for yourself. So how do we make money? We get paid in two ways. First, you can hire us to develop a student loan strategy for you and implement that strategy on your behalf. Second, our partners compensate us. This may influence which refinancing lenders we write about, but it doesn't affect our recommendations or advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.The short answer: for general federal student loan questions, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. For Public Service Loan Forgiveness, disability discharge, and TEACH questions, call the Department of Education’s Loan Discharge and Forgiveness line at 1-888-303-7818. Borrower defense has its own line, 1-855-279-6207. Your loan servicer handles payments, income-driven repayment plans, and closed school discharges.
Every number below was checked against StudentAid.gov and the current federal forms in October 2026.
But what if you’ve already called and got nowhere? That’s most of what this page is about.
On this page
Advertiser Disclosure
You're our top priority.
We want you to be able to make decisions about your student loans with confidence. We offer objective, independent, straightforward guidance on student loans and refinancing lenders. While our site doesn't answer every question or have every lender, we are proud to provide the information and tools you need — free of charge — to make the best decisions for yourself. So how do we make money? We get paid in two ways. First, you can hire us to develop a student loan strategy for you and implement that strategy on your behalf. Second, our partners compensate us. This may influence which refinancing lenders we write about, but it doesn't affect our recommendations or advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.Who You Can Actually Speak With for Student Loan Forgiveness
Here’s which number goes with which question. The phone numbers are current as of October 2026.
General federal loan questions: 1-800-433-3243. That’s the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC), the Department of Education’s main line (TTY 1-800-730-8913). Call it to find out who services your loans, for general questions about federal loan programs, or for help with an application on StudentAid.gov, like an income-driven repayment (IDR) application or a consolidation. It’s a general line, so expect general answers about forgiveness.
PSLF, disability discharge, and TEACH: 1-888-303-7818. The Department of Education calls this Loan Discharge and Forgiveness Customer Support. It’s the number printed in Section 9 of the PSLF form and on the disability discharge application, and it covers Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Temporary Expanded PSLF, total and permanent disability discharge, TEACH Grant and teacher loan forgiveness, and other discharge and forgiveness programs. For TTY, dial 711, then the number. If MOHELA services your loans, this is also the number the Department gives for a PSLF buyback request.
Borrower defense: 1-855-279-6207. Borrower Defense Customer Support handles borrower defense applications and their status. The disability and PSLF line doesn’t.
Payments, IDR plans, deferment, forbearance, and closed school discharge: your loan servicer. As of October 2026 the federal servicers are Aidvantage (800-722-1300), Edfinancial (1-855-337-6884), MOHELA (1-888-866-4352), Nelnet (888-486-4722), and Central Research, Inc. (833-355-4311). Department-held Perkins loans are with ECSI (1-866-313-3797) through November 30, 2026, then GCR Servicing (1-866-898-6191). Not sure which one is yours? Your StudentAid.gov dashboard lists it, or the FSAIC can tell you.
Defaulted federal loans: 1-800-621-3115. That’s the Default Resolution Group (TTY 1-877-825-9923).
Disputes you can’t resolve: the FSA Ombudsman. The FSA Ombudsman doesn’t publish its own phone line anymore. The Department of Education routes it through the FSAIC at 1-800-433-3243, the online Feedback Center, or mail. It can help when you’re stuck in a dispute with your servicer, but it’s slow and it fixes errors rather than speeding anything up.
The FSAIC line and the 1-888-303-7818 line keep the same hours: Monday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, closed weekends.
One number to stop using: 1-855-265-4038. That was FedLoan Servicing’s PSLF line, and it isn’t on any current Department of Education form. PSLF has run through StudentAid.gov, not a servicer, since May 2024. It hasn’t fully gone away, either. As of October 2026, StudentAid.gov’s own contact page displays 1-888-303-7818, but tapping it on a phone dials the old FedLoan number. Type the number in by hand.
What If I Still Don't Get Help?
If these options leave you with more questions—or if you’ve been stuck in circles—there are a few other resources:
State-Based Advocacy Groups: Some states offer direct borrower help, like EdCap in New York or the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. In California, Celina Damian serves as the student loan ombudsman.
Social Media Groups: Reddit and Facebook groups can offer shared experiences and advice from other borrowers, but be cautious—bad information spreads fast.
Student Loan Lawyers (Like Me): My team and I help borrowers deal with loan forgiveness program problems when the system fails. We’ve helped people get forgiveness for PSLF issues where payments were miscounted, one-time account adjustment delays, disability discharges when the process stalled, and other debt relief.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. If you’re tired of getting the runaround, book a consultation with a student loan expert. We’ll help you understand your options and make a plan to get results.
Veterans have their own free channels — Veterans Education Success, Military OneSource, and the disability-discharge line — mapped in student loan help for veterans.
Who Handles Student Loan Forgiveness?
There isn’t one door. PSLF, disability discharge, and TEACH questions go to the Department of Education’s Loan Discharge and Forgiveness line at 1-888-303-7818. IDR plan questions and closed school discharges start with your servicer. Borrower defense has its own line at 1-855-279-6207.
That’s better than it used to be, which isn’t saying much.
Before, you had to contact your loan servicer (or several servicers, if you had several loans), and each one gave different answers, often wrong ones. That’s part of why over 99% of PSLF applications were denied early on, and why people missed out on programs like Teacher Loan Forgiveness and Closed School Discharges. Borrowers were told nothing, or told the wrong thing, by the companies paid to help them.
The system is more centralized now. Hold times are still long, though, and the help you get depends on who picks up.
That’s why so many people hire professional help with their loans, even though they shouldn’t have to. They’re tired of getting the runaround and want clear answers. It makes sense when you consider how life-changing forgiveness can be, especially when the loan balance is double or triple what someone owes on their mortgage.
Who to Contact for Student Loan Forgiveness Options?
If you’re trying to get your loans forgiven, here’s who you can contact based on your situation:
For PSLF, Total and Permanent Disability Discharge, and TEACH Grants: Call the Loan Discharge and Forgiveness line at 1-888-303-7818. Expect long hold times. If you’re not getting clear answers, ask to speak with a supervisor.
For Borrower Defense: Call Borrower Defense Customer Support at 1-855-279-6207.
For Closed School Discharge and Income-Driven Repayment Plan questions: Call your federal loan servicer. If you don’t know who that is, the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 can tell you.
For Private Student Loans: Contact your lender or student loan servicer directly. If you’re not sure which one to call, check your loan statements or log in to your account.
Examples:
If you borrowed from Sallie Mae, they’re both the lender and servicer—call them directly.
If you borrowed from Navient, they hired MOHELA to service your loans, so you’d need to contact MOHELA.
If calling your lender doesn’t help, you can also file a formal complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB will step in and work with the lender or servicer to get a response.
Feeling stuck? If you’ve already tried calling and still feel like you’re hitting a wall, you’re not alone. My team and I have helped borrowers get forgiveness when:
PSLF payments weren’t being counted correctly.
Loans weren’t forgiven after the one-time account adjustment.
Disability discharges were delayed.
How to Make Sure Your Student Loans Are Forgiven
Check Your Loan Type: Not all federal loans qualify for forgiveness. PSLF only forgives Federal Direct Loans, so Federal Family Education Loans and Perkins Loans have to be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan first. A consolidation made on or after July 1, 2026 counts as a new Direct Loan, though, and a new Direct Loan closes IBR, PAYE, and ICR to you. After that, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) is your income-driven option.
Confirm You’re on the Right Repayment Plan: A federal court vacated the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan on March 10, 2026. If you’re still in the SAVE forbearance, your servicer will send a notice giving you 90 days to choose a new plan. If you don’t choose, you’ll be placed on the Standard or Tiered Standard plan, depending on when your loans were disbursed. Months in the SAVE forbearance don’t count toward PSLF or IDR forgiveness, and interest has been accruing since August 1, 2025, so picking a plan sooner gets your credit moving again sooner.
Review Eligibility Requirements: PSLF requires 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. IDR forgiveness takes 240 or 300 qualifying payments under IBR, PAYE, or ICR, and 360 under RAP. Time spent in deferment or forbearance generally doesn’t count.
Take Action Now: The Department of Education says PAYE and ICR enrollment stays open unless you receive a new loan disbursement on or after July 1, 2026. It has not set an enrollment deadline, but it could change that, so check before you apply. Both plans end June 30, 2028. If one of them fits, apply, keep a copy of everything you submit, and don’t count on approval until you see it. IBR and RAP are the longer-term options. You can submit your application at StudentAid.gov.
FAQs
Ask for a supervisor. If that doesn't work, contact the FSA Ombudsman through the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or the Feedback Center on StudentAid.gov, or get help from a professional like a student loan lawyer.
It depends on the program. Call 1-888-303-7818 for PSLF, disability discharge, and TEACH questions, 1-855-279-6207 for borrower defense, and your loan servicer for IDR plans and closed school discharge. For general federal loan questions, or to find out who your servicer is, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. You usually need just one of these. If you get conflicting answers, escalate to the FSA Ombudsman.
Have your loan details, repayment history, employment certification, and any denial letters ready. Being prepared can help you get clearer answers faster.
Trust the Department of Education's guidance first. If the information conflicts with what your servicer says, ask for written clarification and consider escalating to the FSA Ombudsman.
Bottom Line
Student loan forgiveness shouldn’t be this complicated. But with changing rules and confusing servicer advice, it often is.
If you’re unsure whether you’re on the right repayment plan, worried about missing out on loan cancellation, or just tired of getting the runaround, you’re not alone.
My team has helped hundreds of borrowers get clarity and results with PSLF, IDR forgiveness, and more.
Book a call today, and let’s make sure you’re on the right track for the forgiveness you deserve.
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