Forms

A Direct Consolidation Loan allows you to combine multiple federal student loans into one loan, one payment and one fixed interest rate. Carefully consider whether loan consolidation is the best option for you.

Review the advantages and disadvantages of loan consolidation.

During a period when you are undergoing cancer treatment and for 6 months following the conclusion of the treatment.

You may qualify for this deferment if you are receiving a means-tested benefit, like welfare (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)); work full-time but have earnings that are below 150% of the poverty guideline for your family size and state of residence; or are serving in the Peace Corps. You can only receive this deferment for up to three years.

You may qualify for this deferment if you are enrolled in an approved graduate fellowship program. A graduate fellowship program is generally a program that provides financial support to graduate students to pursue graduate studies and research. Most graduate fellowship programs are for doctoral students, but some are available to master's degree students.

You are eligible for this deferment if you're enrolled at least half-time at an eligible college or career school. If you're a graduate or professional student who received a Direct PLUS Loan, you qualify for an additional six months of deferment after you cease to be enrolled at least half-time.

Important! If you are enrolled in an eligible college or career school at least half-time, in most cases your loan will be placed into a deferment automatically based on enrollment information reported by your school, and we will notify you that the deferment has been granted (no deferment form necessary). If you enroll at least half-time but do not automatically receive a deferment, you should contact the school where you are enrolled. Your school will then report information about your enrollment status so that your loan can be placed into deferment.

• During a period of active duty military service during a war, military operation, or national emergency.

• During the 13 months following the conclusion of qualifying active duty military service, or until you return to enrollment on at least a half-time basis, whichever is earlier, if you are a member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the U.S. armed forces and you were called or ordered to active duty while enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school or within six months of having been enrolled at least half-time.

You may qualify for this deferment if you're a parent who received a Direct PLUS Loan to help pay for your child's education, and the student you took the loan out for is enrolled at least half-time at an eligible college or career school. You can also receive a deferment for an additional six months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.

Note: If we have received eligible enrollment for your child and your loan is not in deferment, you can request the deferment verbally by contacting our customer service department.

You may qualify for this deferment if you’re enrolled in an approved rehabilitation training program that is designed to provide vocational, drug abuse, mental health, or alcohol abuse rehabilitation treatment.

You may be eligible for this deferment if you receive unemployment benefits or you are seeking and unable to find full-time employment. You can receive this deferment for up to three years.

If your school falsely certified your loan eligibility.

If you are unable to meet the legal requirements for employment in your state of residence in the occupation for which your program of study was intended when your school originated or certified your loan.

If you believe that a loan in your name was falsely certified as a result of the crime of identity theft - use this form to apply for a false certification discharge.

If any one of these documents was signed without your authorization, you may be eligible for a loan discharger. This form is not used for allegations of identity theft.

• Loan Application

• Promissory Note

• Master promissory note

• Combined application / promissory note

• Loan Check

• Electronic funds transfer authorization

• Master check authorization

If your school closes while you're enrolled or soon after you withdraw, you may be eligible for a loan discharge. Find out what the criteria are for discharge and how you can apply.

Visit disabilitydischarge.com or contact the Nelnet Total and Permanent Disability Servicer at 1.888.303.8918.

If you withdrew from school but the school did not pay a refund that is owed to the Department of Education.

Postpone your payments if you are experiencing a temporary hardship related to financial difficulties, change in employment or medical expenses.

• Medical or Dental Internship/Residency Program

• National Guard Duty

• Department of Defense Loan Repayment Program

Postpone your payments if the total amount you owe each month for all the student loans you received is 20 percent or more of your total monthly gross income (for up to 3 years and additional conditions apply).

If you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $17,500 on your Direct Loan or FFEL program loans. See StudentAid.gov/teach-forgive for more information and a form you can fill out when you have completed your teaching service.

If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 (10 years) qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

Use the PSLF Help Tool to complete the form, sign and submit electronically.

If you are a teacher in a low-income school or educational service agency, you may be eligible for Teacher Loan Forgiveness.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness application calls for consecutive, complete academic years of service for forgiveness. However, applicants who were unable to teach during the period of the officially-declared natural disaster Hurricane Maria and/or Hurricane Irma are allowed up to a one-year gap in service. The one-year gap in service encompasses the following timeframes:

Hurricane Maria: September 2017 thru September 2018

Hurricane Irma: September 2017 thru September 2018

This waiver applies for Teacher Loan Forgiveness applicants residing/working in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (PR) or the Virgin Islands of the United States (VI) affected by the officially-declared natural disaster Hurricane Maria and Teacher Loan Forgiveness applicants residing/working in the VI affected by the officially-declared natural disaster Hurricane Irma. This relief/wavier is available as part of the enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law No: 115-123.

Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF)

If some or all of your payments were not made on a qualifying repayment plan for PSLF, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under a temporary opportunity.

Learn more to see whether you might qualify.

Use the PSLF Help Tool to complete the form, sign and submit electronically.

An interest rate cap of 6% is available to student loan borrowers and cosigners during periods of active duty. If your interest rate is less than 6%, no change will be made to your rate.

If you have exceeded the annual or aggregate loan limit ("overborrowing"), to regain eligibility for federal student financial aid, you may either:

1. Repay the excess loan amount now (contact us), or

2. Complete this form to agree to repay the excess according to the terms and conditions of your promissory note ("reaffirmation").

These plans base your monthly payment on your income and family size. They require annual recertification to remain on the plan. Use Loan Simulator  this link will open in a new window to help find a plan that will work for you.

• Income-Based Repayment (IBR)

• Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)

• Pay As You Earn (PAYE)

• Saving On A Valuable Education (SAVE, Formerly the REPAYE Program)

These plans are based on the length of time your loan is in repayment. Use Loan Simulator  this link will open in a new window to help find a plan that will work for you.

• Standard Repayment Plan

• Extended Repayment Plan

• Graduated Repayment Plan