It is a good idea to get a copy of the full payment history on your
loans to make sure there were no errors by the lender, such as missing
payments. You can get a copy of the payment history from the student
access interface to the National Student
Loan Data System (NSLDS). If there are any missing payments,
provide proof of the payments to the holder of the loan, such as a
copy of the front and back of a canceled check.
If you are unable to regain eligibility for federal student aid, you
may find it very difficult to afford college. Sometimes, though,
students who have defaulted on their loans are able to afford to pay
for tuition and fees at a lower-cost college, such as a community
college, without relying on financial aid.
Note that students who have defaulted on their federal student loans
are still eligible for the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax
credits. The Hope Scholarship tax credit is partially refundable, so
you should be able to qualify even if you don't have a tax liability.
The FSA Ombudsman can help
resolve disputes with lenders. The FSA Ombudsman can be reached by
calling 1-877-557-2575 or by sending email to
fsaombudsmanoffice@ed.gov.
The US Department of Education's Default Resolution Group (DRG) can
help borrowers explore options for rehabilitating defaulted student
loans and regaining eligibility for federal student aid. The DRG may
be reached by calling 1-800-621-3115 (TTY 1-877-825-9923) or by
sending email to drghelp@ed.gov.
For additional information on rehabilitating defaulted federal
student loans, visit
Student Loan Rehabilitation
on the FinAid site.
A Prospective Student is Ineligible for Financial Aid Because of a Student Loan Default

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