Repaying Student Loans
Information to help you manage the repayment of your federal student loans.
Remember, federal student loans are real loans and must be repaid.
Your loan servicer will provide you with a loan repayment schedule that states when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment. Keep in mind that your loan may have a grace period. To find out who your loan servicer is go to: www.studentaid.gov
Grace Period
The grace period is a set period of time after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment before you must begin repayment on your loan. The grace period gives you time to get financially settled and to select your repayment plan. Not all federal student loans have a grace period.
Repayment Calculator
Use the repayment estimator to anticipate your monthly loan payment, total interest paid, and total pay-off underneath each repayment plan tohelp you determine the best repayment program for you.
Available Repayment Plans:
Making Payments:
There are several ways you can make your payments.
If you want to make electronic payments, you can do the following:
- Receive your student loan statement electronically.
- Make your student loan payment through electronic debiting.
- Schedule a recurring electronic debit to pay your bill. You can enroll in electronic debit in several ways, depending on which type of loan you are repaying. Contact your loan servicer for more information.
- If you want to make payments by postal mail, you should mail your payments directly to your loan servicer
Cannot Afford your Payments?
Contact your loan servicer if you would like to discuss repayment plan options or change your repayment plan. You can get information about all of the federal student loans you have received and find the loan servicer for your loans by logging in to www.studentaid.gov
Federal Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by the government or not-for-profit organization, you may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Federal Loan Repayment Incentives
Some organizations or companies offer partial repayment of Federal student loans as a way to recruit or retain highly qualified employees. Repayment incentives are different than loan forgiveness. Only the Department of Education can forgive your Federal student loans; in contrast, repayment incentives are payments made on your student loans by a third party. The Office of Financial Aid has compiled a list of organizations that are known to offer such benefits. Please note that this list is not exhastive, but rather a place to start.
Need to contact the Financial Aid Office?
You can contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@paloaltou.edu or by phone at 650-433-3824.
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