Student Loan Default: Official Phone Numbers & Who to Call

If your federal student loan is in default, the main number to call is the U.S. Department of Education's Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115 (TTY 1-877-825-9923). For loans that are not yet in default, start with Federal Student Aid at 1-800-433-3243. These are free, official government lines, calling them never costs anything, and no legitimate government program charges a fee to get you out of default.

This page exists for one reason: when people search for a "student loan default phone number," the top results are often companies that charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to do paperwork you can do yourself for free. Below are the real numbers, who answers them, and what to say so you reach help instead of a sales pitch.

The Numbers That Actually Matter

• Default Resolution Group (U.S. Dept. of Education): 1-800-621-3115. This is the office that handles federal loans already in default. They can explain loan rehabilitation, consolidation out of default, garnishment, and tax-refund offset.
• Federal Student Aid Information Center: 1-800-433-3243 (1-800-4-FED-AID). The general help line for federal loans, FAFSA, repayment plans, and finding out who your servicer is.
• StudentAid.gov. The official self-service site. Log in with your FSA ID to see your loan balances, servicer, and default status. If a website isn't a .gov, treat it with caution.
• Your loan servicer. For loans not in default, the servicer handles billing and repayment plans. Current federal servicers include MOHELA, Nelnet, Aidvantage, and EdFinancial; the exact servicer and its number appear in your StudentAid.gov dashboard.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): 1-855-411-2372. File complaints about servicers or debt collectors here. The CFPB is the federal agency that supervises student loan servicing.

A note on private student loans: the numbers above are for federal loans. Private loans (from a bank, credit union, or lender like Sallie Mae, SoFi, or Discover) are not handled by the Default Resolution Group and do not have federal rehabilitation programs. For private loans, contact the lender directly using the number on your statement, and consider talking to a nonprofit credit counselor or an attorney.

How to Tell If Your Loan Is Actually in Default

For most federal loans, you are considered delinquent the day after you miss a payment, and in default after roughly 270 days (about nine months) without payment. The exact mechanics can differ by loan type, so the safest way to confirm your status is to log in to StudentAid.gov or call Federal Student Aid. Don't rely on a collector's word for whether you are in default, verify it from the source.

Default has real consequences: the entire balance can become due, your credit report takes a hit, and the government can collect through wage garnishment, Social Security offset, and seizing federal and state tax refunds, without first taking you to court. That power is exactly why scammers exploit the fear around default. Knowing the official channels protects you.

Why You May Be Targeted by Predatory Companies

Companies that advertise "student loan forgiveness," "document preparation," or "default resolution" services often buy ads against these very search terms. They typically charge upfront or monthly fees to enroll you in programs that are free through the Department of Education. Some collect your FSA ID password, which gives them control of your account, a serious risk.

Warning signs of a predatory operation:

• They charge a fee to "apply" for forgiveness, consolidation, or to get you out of default.
• They pressure you to act "today" or claim a program is about to expire.
• They ask for your FSA ID username and password. Never share it; the government will never need you to hand it over to a third party.
• They use official-sounding names or seals to look like a government agency.
• They promise instant or guaranteed forgiveness.

If a company collecting on your loan misrepresents itself, harasses you, or lies about what you owe, that conduct may violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the federal law governing third-party debt collectors, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the CFPB. Deceptive marketing of debt-relief services can also draw action from your state Attorney General. Note that the original federal loan holder and its contracted servicers are not always treated as "debt collectors" under the FDCPA in the same way an outside collection agency is, but deceptive private companies usually are, and state consumer-protection laws often reach further. These state protections vary by state, so it's worth checking your own Attorney General's website.

Your Real Options to Get Out of Default

When you call the Default Resolution Group, these are the legitimate paths they can walk you through, all free:

Loan Rehabilitation

You agree to make a series of consecutive, on-time monthly payments (the standard program is nine payments over ten months) based on an amount the Department calculates from your income. After you complete it, the loan comes out of default and the default notation can be removed from your credit report, though late payments reported before default may remain. Rehabilitation can generally only be used once per loan, so it matters to get it right.

Loan Consolidation

You combine your defaulted loan(s) into a new Direct Consolidation Loan. This can move you out of default faster than rehabilitation, but the default notation typically stays on your credit history. To consolidate out of default you usually must either agree to repay under an income-driven plan or make a few qualifying payments first.

Paying in Full or Settling

You can pay the balance, or in some cases negotiate a settlement. Get any settlement agreement in writing before you pay.

Income-Driven Repayment (to avoid re-defaulting)

Once you're out of default, enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan can set your payment based on income and family size, sometimes as low as a small amount or even zero. This is how most people stay current going forward. Your servicer handles enrollment for free.

If Your Wages or Tax Refund Are Being Taken

If you receive a notice of administrative wage garnishment or tax-refund offset, you have rights, including the right to request a hearing, to object, and in cases of financial hardship to ask for relief. The notice itself will list a deadline and the office to contact, often the Default Resolution Group. Read it carefully and respond before the stated deadline, because the deadlines on these federal notices are real and missing them limits your options. Document the date you received the notice and keep a copy of everything you send.

A few federal protections worth knowing: there are limits on how much of your disposable pay can be garnished for a federal student loan, and certain income (like a portion of Social Security) is protected. If garnishment would create genuine hardship, say so in writing and ask for the hardship process.

What to Document Before and During Any Call

• Your loan details: servicer name, account number, and current status (pulled from StudentAid.gov).
• Every contact: date, the name of the representative, the phone number you called, and what was agreed. A short call log protects you if there's a later dispute.
• Written confirmation: ask for any agreement, rehabilitation terms, or settlement in writing or by email.
• Income proof: recent pay stubs or tax return, which the Department may use to calculate a rehabilitation or income-driven payment.
• Copies of notices: keep garnishment, offset, and collection letters in one folder with the dates received.

Where to File a Complaint

If a servicer or collector mistreats you, you have free places to push back:

• CFPB (consumerfinance.gov or 1-855-411-2372) for student loan servicers and collectors.
• FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) for scams and deceptive debt-relief companies.
• Federal Student Aid Ombudsman for disputes about your federal loan after you've tried to resolve it with the servicer.
• Your state Attorney General, whose consumer-protection office can pursue companies operating in your state. Protections here vary by state.

Your credit report also matters here. If default or collection information is reported inaccurately, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute it with the credit bureaus, and once a loan is rehabilitated, the default line should be corrected.

The Bottom Line

Start with the official source: 1-800-621-3115 for defaulted federal loans, 1-800-433-3243 for general federal loan help, and your servicer (found on StudentAid.gov) for loans still in repayment. Everything you need to escape default, rehabilitation, consolidation, income-driven plans, is free. If anyone asks for a fee or your FSA ID password to do it, hang up. This is general information, not legal advice; for a complicated case, especially garnishment, an offset hearing, or private-loan default, consider talking with a nonprofit credit counselor or a consumer attorney.

Know the law

Federal student loans carry rights most borrowers never use — income-driven plans, forgiveness, and ways out of default; servicers are overseen by the CFPB.

Where to get help or file a complaint:

• Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — submit a complaint

Your state matters too. Federal law is the floor — your state sets the statute of limitations on debt, garnishment and exemption limits, payday and repossession rules, and has its own Attorney General and consumer-protection laws. Always check your state’s rules. This is general legal information, not legal advice.