Student Loan Payments 2026: Nearly 9.6 million federal student loan borrowers were in default as of this summer, the highest number on record, according to Federal Student Aid’s latest quarterly data. Another 3.5 million borrowers are more than 30 days delinquent, with roughly 1.4 million of them in late-stage delinquency and at real risk of sliding into default within the next six months. If you have missed a payment, or you can already see one coming, the single most important step is knowing exactly who to call before your account moves further down that path, because the phone numbers and offices that can actually help are not always obvious, and borrowers who go silent tend to end up with far worse outcomes than those who reach out early.
The surge traces back to the reopening of federal collections after years of pandemic-era pauses. Payments restarted in late 2023, defaults began reappearing in June 2025 once the standard nine-month delinquency clock ran out, and a March 2026 court order ending the SAVE repayment plan pushed nearly 7 million more borrowers out of forbearance and into new repayment arrangements almost overnight. Add a July 2026 shift to two new repayment plans, the Repayment Assistance Plan and the Tiered Standard Plan, and it is little wonder the Department of Education’s own numbers show call volumes and processing delays climbing across nearly every servicer. We’ll be updating this article monthly as new servicer data, contact numbers, and federal relief programs are announced.
The Current State of Student Loan Distress in 2026
The scale of the problem has grown fast enough that it is worth understanding before deciding who to call. Federal Reserve data shows 10.3 percent of all outstanding student loan balances were 90 or more days delinquent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 9.6 percent just one quarter earlier. Roughly 1.3 million borrowers moved into default between January and March of 2026 alone, and Newsweek’s analysis of Department of Education figures projects the combined delinquent-plus-defaulted population could reach 12.5 million borrowers by the end of the year if current trends hold.
| Metric | Latest Figure | Source Period |
|---|---|---|
| Borrowers in default | About 9.6 million | March to May 2026 |
| Borrowers 30+ days delinquent | About 3.5 million | March 2026 |
| Borrowers in late-stage delinquency (at risk within 6 months) | About 1.4 million | March 2026 |
| Share of active-repayment balances 90+ days delinquent | 10.3% | Q1 2026 |
| Dollar value of defaulted federal debt | About $220 billion | March 2026 |
| Borrowers who defaulted, Jan to Mar 2026 alone | About 1.3 million | Q1 2026 |
| Projected delinquent + defaulted borrowers by year end | Up to 12.5 million | Full-year 2026 projection |
Call Your Loan Servicer First, Before You Miss a Payment
The very first call anyone struggling with payments should make is to their federal loan servicer, the private company that actually manages your billing on the Department of Education’s behalf. This matters even if you are not behind yet. Servicers can move you onto an income-driven repayment plan, pause payments through deferment or forbearance, or explain the two newer repayment options, the Repayment Assistance Plan and Tiered Standard Plan, that became available on July 1, 2026. If you are not sure who services your loan, log into your account at StudentAid.gov, since loans do get transferred between companies and an old contact number may no longer be correct.
| Servicer | Phone Number | Website |
|---|---|---|
| MOHELA | 1-888-866-4352 | mohela.com |
| Aidvantage | 1-800-722-1300 | aidvantage.com |
| Nelnet | 1-888-486-4722 | nelnet.com |
| Edfinancial Services | 1-855-337-6884 | edfinancial.com |
| ECSI (Perkins Loans) | 1-866-313-3797 | ecsi.net |
| CRI | 1-833-355-4311 | cri.studentaid.gov |
| Great Lakes | 1-800-236-4300 | mygreatlakes.org |
If your loan has already been transferred to MOHELA’s default and PSLF servicing division specifically, the direct line is 1-800-945-4701 from inside the United States, or 636-532-0600 if calling internationally.
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If Your Loan Is Already in Default, Call the Default Resolution Group
Once a federal loan reaches 270 days past due, it moves out of your regular servicer’s hands entirely and into default status, managed by the Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group rather than the company you were previously paying. This is a different phone number and a different process, so continuing to call your old servicer will not resolve a defaulted account.
| Contact | Phone Number | What They Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Default Resolution Group | 1-800-621-3115 | Loan rehabilitation, consolidation, and repayment plans for defaulted loans |
| MyEdDebt.ed.gov | Online portal | Manage a defaulted account, make payments, start rehabilitation |
| Treasury Offset Program hotline | 1-800-304-3107 | Questions about tax refund or wage garnishment offsets tied to default |
Loan rehabilitation is usually the fastest way back to good standing. It involves agreeing to nine reduced, income-based payments over ten months, after which the default is removed from your credit history and the loan returns to a regular servicer. Loan consolidation is a second route, which resolves the default immediately by rolling the debt into a new Direct Consolidation Loan, though it does not erase the default notation from your credit report the way rehabilitation does.
Free, Government-Approved Help You Should Know About
A large share of borrowers who fall behind never realize that free, legitimate help exists alongside the servicer and Default Resolution Group phone lines. The Department of Education is explicit that no legitimate federal loan servicer or government office will ever charge a fee for repayment plan enrollment, consolidation, or forgiveness applications, which makes fee-based “student loan help” companies one of the most common scams borrowers encounter once they start missing payments.
| Resource | What It Offers | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Student Aid Information Center | General federal loan questions and servicer lookup | 1-800-433-3243 |
| StudentAid.gov Loan Simulator | Compares repayment plans and estimated payments before you call anyone | studentaid.gov/loan-simulator |
| National Foundation for Credit Counseling | Free or low-cost, nonprofit budget and debt counseling | 1-800-388-2227 |
| Student Loan Ombudsman (FSA Feedback Center) | Escalation point for unresolved servicer disputes | studentaid.gov/feedback |
| Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Complaints against servicers, scam reporting | 1-855-411-2372 |
What to Say When You Call
Borrowers often delay calling because they are unsure what to actually ask for. Being specific gets you to a resolution faster than describing the problem generally. It helps to have your account number, Social Security number, and a rough sense of your monthly income ready before you dial, since most repayment plan discussions start with an income question.
Useful phrases to use on the call include asking directly for an income-driven repayment plan recalculation, asking whether you qualify for the new Repayment Assistance Plan or Tiered Standard Plan that started July 1, 2026, asking about a temporary forbearance if you are facing a short-term hardship like job loss, and asking whether enrolling in automatic payments qualifies you for the current 1 percentage point interest rate reduction, a benefit the Department of Education is offering through September 30, 2026 for eligible Direct Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2012.
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Watch Out for These Warning Signs of a Scam
Because the volume of distressed borrowers has grown so quickly this year, so has the number of companies targeting them. If a caller or website asks for an upfront fee to enroll you in a federal repayment plan, asks for your FSA ID password, or promises loan forgiveness that sounds too immediate to be realistic, treat it as a red flag. Every legitimate action described in this article, from switching repayment plans to starting rehabilitation, can be done directly through your servicer or StudentAid.gov at no cost.
Official Student Loan Resources
| Resource | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| StudentAid.gov account login | Check servicer, balance, and repayment plan status | studentaid.gov/login |
| Loan Simulator | Compare repayment plan options and payment estimates | studentaid.gov/loan-simulator |
| MyEdDebt | Manage a defaulted federal loan account | myeddebt.ed.gov |
| Federal Student Aid Feedback Center | File a complaint or escalate a servicer issue | studentaid.gov/feedback |
| Public Service Loan Forgiveness info | Check PSLF eligibility and employer certification | studentaid.gov/pslf |
| Big Updates on new repayment plans | Details on RAP and Tiered Standard Plan | studentaid.gov/bigupdates |
FAQs
Who do I call if I cannot make my student loan payment?
Call your loan servicer first, before you miss a payment if possible. Servicers can move you onto an income-driven repayment plan or grant a temporary deferment or forbearance. If you do not know who your servicer is, log in at StudentAid.gov to find out.
What number do I call if my student loan is already in default?
Defaulted federal loans are handled by the Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115, not your original servicer. You can also manage a defaulted account directly through myeddebt.ed.gov.
Is there a free hotline for student loan help?
Yes. The Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 answers general federal loan questions at no cost, and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227 offers free or low-cost nonprofit budget counseling.
Will my wages be garnished if I default on federal student loans?
Wage garnishment and tax refund offsets are possible once a loan is in default, though the Department of Education has generally prioritized outreach and rehabilitation offers before initiating collection actions. Contacting the Default Resolution Group before collections escalate gives you more options.
What is loan rehabilitation and how does it work?
Rehabilitation is a process where you make nine agreed-upon, reduced payments over ten months on a defaulted loan. Once completed, the default is removed from your credit report and the loan moves back to a regular servicer under a normal repayment plan.
Are there new student loan repayment plans in 2026?
Yes. The Repayment Assistance Plan and the Tiered Standard Plan became available on July 1, 2026, replacing the SAVE plan, which was ended by a March 2026 court order. Borrowers previously on SAVE were required to select a new plan after being notified by their servicer.
People Also Ask
What happens if you just stop paying your student loans? Loans move from delinquent to default status after 270 days of nonpayment, at which point the Department of Education can garnish wages, seize tax refunds, and refer the debt to collections, and the default is reported to credit bureaus, damaging your credit score significantly.
Can student loans be forgiven if you can’t pay? Outright forgiveness for inability to pay is limited, but income-driven repayment plans can lower monthly payments to a small percentage of discretionary income, and some borrowers on income-driven plans qualify for forgiveness of remaining balances after a set number of years of qualifying payments.
How do I find out who my student loan servicer is? Log into your account at StudentAid.gov using your FSA ID. Your dashboard shows your current servicer’s name along with a direct link and phone number for that specific company.
Is calling a private debt relief company for student loans a good idea? Most student loan relief companies charge fees for services that are free when done directly through your federal servicer or StudentAid.gov, so the Department of Education and consumer advocates generally advise against paying a third party for help with federal loans.
Conclusion
With defaults running at record levels and millions more borrowers sitting in the delinquency window that leads to default, knowing exactly who to call, and calling before your account slips further behind, makes the biggest difference in how this plays out for you. Start with your servicer if you are still current or only recently late. Move to the Default Resolution Group the moment a loan crosses into default. Use the free federal hotlines and nonprofit credit counseling if you need help figuring out which option fits your situation, and steer clear of any company asking for money upfront to do what your servicer will do for free. The contacts in this article are the same ones the Department of Education points borrowers to directly, and reaching out early remains the single most reliable way to avoid wage garnishment, credit damage, and the other consequences that come with letting an account go unaddressed.
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