Federal Direct Loan Repayment

1. Identify your loan servicer by logging in to your StudentAid.gov profile
2. Review and update your contact information and communication preferences in your profile on your loan servicer's website and in your StudentAid.gov profile.
3. Sign up for auto-pay on your loan servicer’s website.  Auto-pay is a great way to ensure that your monthly payments are submitted on time each month!
4. Choose your repayment plan and budget for your monthly payments. Check out Loan Simulator to find a repayment plan that meets your needs and goals or to decide whether to consolidate. You can also visit the Federal Student Aid website for a detailed overview of loan repayment plans. If you are concerned about the amount of your loan payment, consider applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. An IDR plan can make your payments more affordable, depending on your income and family size.
   
   If you are concerned about the amount of your loan payment, consider applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. An IDR plan can make your payments more affordable, depending on your income and family size.

You are offered a one-time 180-day grace period after you graduate or drop below half-time (6 credits) before you are required to begin making your monthly loan payments.

A loan servicer is the agency who collects the loan payments on your behalf. You can identify who your servicer is by logging on to www.studentaid.gov. If you have additional questions, please email the Clark College financial aid loans team at  finaidloans@clark.edu

The Standard Repayment plan is the repayment plan you are automatically enrolled in when you begin repayment. Your payments are divided into 120 payments over a 10-year period.

If you cannot afford payments under the Standard Repayment plan, please contact your servicer about an Income Driven Repayment Plan (IDR) and other options that may be available. To determine if you’re eligible and which plan might work best for you, see the Loan Repayment Estimator.

Important Changes Effective July 1, 2026

Current borrowers who borrow any new loan after July 1, 2026, (including a consolidation loan) will only be eligible for the new Standard Plan or Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

Current borrowers who borrowed  loans before July 1, 2026 and are enrolled in a legacy standard repayment plan (10-year standard, extended, graduated, etc.) or Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans will be able to remain on that plan.

If you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or qualifying not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Federal Direct Loans

• after you’ve made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments under an accepted repayment plan, and
• while working full-time for an eligible employer.

For further information and FAQs, please see https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.

Consider Another Repayment Plan First

Because of the impact on interest and potential loan forgiveness, it might be worth exploring another repayment plan before you consider deferment or forbearance. For example, your payments could be more affordable if you change to an income-driven repayment plan. Contact your loan servicer to find out if another repayment plan might be the best option for you.

Deferment is a temporary postponement of payment on a loan that is allowed under certain conditions.  Any unpaid interest accrued during the deferment period may be capitalized (added to the principal balance of the loan). 

Forbearance may be requested if you are temporarily unable to make your scheduled monthly payments.  Interest will still accrue on your loans so, while it is preferable to being late on your payments, it is often best to avoid forbearance if you can.

Consolidation is when you combine multiple Direct Loans into a new consolidated loan. Consolidation might not be the best option for everyone, so it is important to speak with your servicer before making the decision to consolidate.

Consolidation may reset your qualifying payments towards PSLF and IDR loan forgiveness.  After July 1, 2026, consolidation will limit borrowers to the new Standard Plan or Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

Your federal student loans become delinquent if you miss a required payment. Delinquency hurts your credit rating. Borrowers who go 90 days without making a payment will be reported to credit agencies.

If you are delinquent for 270 or more days, you enter default. Defaulting is very serious and can lead to:

• Losing your financial aid eligibility
• Damage to your credit history
• Garnishment of wages and/or seizure of benefits or tax refunds
• Loss of eligibility for certain types of employment
• Other repercussions

Defaulted Loan Resolution

 Defaulted borrowers must contact their loan servicer to begin the default resolution process.  If you’re not sure who your loan servicer is, you can log in and view your loan servicer details to get your loan servicer’s contact information.

There are three (3) options  to get out of default:

• Rehabilitate the loan by making 9 consecutive on-time payments
  (After six payments, you will become eligible for federal aid again. However, your loan will still be considered in default status until all 9 on-time payments are made)
• Consolidate the defaulted loan into a new loan
• Pay the amount in full or make a negotiated payment

Of the three (3) options, rehabilitation is preferable because it clears the default from your credit history.

What is a cohort default rate?

For schools having 30 or more borrowers entering repayment in a fiscal year, the school’s cohort default rate (CDR) is the percentage of a school’s borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) and/or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (Direct Loans) during that fiscal year and default within the three-year cohort default period.

The phrase “cohort default period” refers to the three-year period that begins on October 1 of the fiscal year when the borrower enters repayment and ends on September 30th of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the borrower entered repayment. This is the period during which a borrower’s default affects the school’s cohort default rate.

Cohort default rates are based on federal fiscal years. Federal fiscal years begin October 1 of a calendar year and end on September 30th of the following calendar year. Each federal fiscal year refers to the calendar year in which it ends.

Please refer to the Department of Education’s Cohort Default Rate Guide for a more in-depth description of cohort default rates and how the rates are calculated.

Clark College CDRs:
FY 2022 – 0.1%
FY 2021 – 0%
FY 2020 – 0%

Clark College does not recommend private education loan lenders or use preferred lender lists. If you borrowed a private education loan, please contact your lender with questions about repayment terms.

There are agencies and organizations that may attempt to take advantage of student borrowers by fraudulently obtaining your personal information. The Department of Education and your loan servicer will never ask you for your FSA ID or ask you to pay an upfront cost for assistance.  For more information, please see Avoiding Loan Scams or the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information page.

If you have already provided your personal information or paid a student loan debt relief company, it is recommended that you take the following actions:

• Log in and change your FSA ID password. Do not share your new FSA ID password with anyone.
• Contact your loan servicer to revoke any power of attorney or third-party authorization agreement that your servicer has on file. You should also make sure no unwanted actions were taken on your loans.
• Contact your bank or credit card company and request that payments to the student loan debt relief company be stopped.
• Report your complaint to the Federal Trade Commission.

File a report of suspicious activity through the Federal Student Aid Feedback System.

If you and your loan servicer disagree about the balance or status of your loan, you should first identify your loan issue and then contact your loan servicer.

If you have already contacted your servicer, but your issue has still not been resolved, the following resources are available to you:

Office of the Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman is a neutral, informal, and confidential resource at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help resolve complaints about your federal student aid. The Office of the Ombudsman can help you if:

• you’re experiencing issues receiving federal student aid at your school,
• you disagree with your loan servicer about the balance or status of your existing federal student loans,
• you’d like to report suspicious activity, or
• you’re not satisfied with help previously provided by ED.

 FSA Ombudsman Group
P.O. Box 1854
Monticello, KY 42633
Phone: [1-800-433-3243]
Website: https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare

Washington State Student Loan Advocate

The Student Loan Advocate collaborates with other state agencies to support current and future student loan borrowers in Washington State by:

• Addressing student borrowers' questions and complaints.
• Providing borrowers information and resources about student loans.
• Educating the public about the rights and responsibilities of student loan borrowers.

Website: https://wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy