Do you know how to prepare for student loan repayment?

The COVID-19 payment pause is ending on September 1st. In October, borrowers must resume payments for the first time in more than three years.

Here are steps you can take to prepare:

  1. Check your loan information by logging into studentaid.gov. Your loans may have been transferred to a new loan servicer during the pandemic. Studentaid.gov is where you can find out your current loan servicer and get an update on your student loan situation.
  2. Update your contact information on studentaid.gov as well as on your current loan servicer’s website.
  3. See if you are eligible to have any of your loans forgiven by going to StudentAid.gov/forgiveness
  4. Find out what your monthly payments will be and consider your payment plan options. Go to studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/ to select the repayment option that meets your needs and goals.
    *Make sure you read about the new repayment option called the SAVE plan: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan
  5. Make a plan for how you’ll make payments. If you were enrolled in auto-pay before the pandemic, you will likely need to re-enroll.

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Need more help? MLSA assists Montanans with civil legal issues. To apply, contact Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) at 1-800-666-6899 or apply online at https://www.mtlsa.org/