Changes are coming to your existing student loans, and they’ll be here sooner than you think. Whether you’re paying the loans yourself or along with your student, you’ll want to prepare yourself and put your best foot forward in 2022. Let’s take a look at what’s changing and what you can do to navigate these changes.
Federal Student Loan Payments Resume January 31st, 2022
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CARES Act, which stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act, went into effect, which essentially put paying back student loans on hold. There were two extensions; however, as reported by Forbes.com, the hold on student loans is coming to an end.
According to this article on Time.com, President Biden’s extended pause on federal student loan payments ends on January 31st, 2022. With only a couple of months left before the deadline passes, now is the time to begin planning for your student loan payments to resume in February if you’ve had them deferred or start in 2022 if you recently graduated.
Navient is Switching to Maximus
Navient, one of the biggest names in federal student loans, is actively transitioning over upwards of five million accounts over to Maximus, according to this article from WashingtonPost.com. Due to the poorly run Federal repayment system, issues had been ultimately blamed on Navient, resulting in various lawsuits. In response to legal action, Navient has exited the federal student loan servicing market, so do not be alarmed if you notice Maximus now carrying your student’s debt.
Aidvantage Will Be Your New Portal
Navient’s website points students and parents to Aidvantage, the federal loan servicing department of Maximus Education. You’ll want to log on to your existing Navient user account to verify all your contact information is correct, such as email, phone number, and mailing address. This action ensures that any communications from Aidvantage will reach you promptly.
Once your student’s loan officially moves to Aidvantage, you will get a welcome letter and further details regarding your loan. Your contact information and account number remain the same through the transition. However, you’ll be logging in to a whole new website. You should begin to expect these changes to be made around December of 2021 as they gear up for payments to reopen on January 31st, 2022.
Do You Qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
One thing that’s rolling out under the Biden Administration is the PSLF program, or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. If a qualifying employer employs you, explore the possibility of a loan balance forgiveness. Do this if at least 120 qualifying payments are made through an eligible, specific payment plan. To learn more and see if you’re qualified, visit the studentaid.gov website.
Get Ahead of the Game
No matter when your student will be graduating, you’ll want to get ahead of the game when it comes to paying back student loans. They’re a significant expense that both you and your student will need to plan for ahead of time, especially now that the pause soon is lifted.
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