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How FSA and Nelnet Work Together

When you take out a federal student loan, you enter new relationships with:

  • Federal Student Aid (FSA), an office of the U.S. Department of Education, which provided the funds, and
  • Nelnet, your loan servicer, which assists you on your repayment journey.

FSA and Nelnet work hand-in-hand to help you pay for school and repay your loans. Each also provides valuable online resources to help you complete tasks and meet goals.

At a Glance

At a Glance
FSA Nelnet
Purpose
FSA supplies financial aid (loans, work-study funds, and grants) to students who pursue higher education. Nelnet is one of multiple servicers that work for FSA. We’re your primary contact for questions and help you manage your loans as you pay them back.
Website Highlights
StudentAid.gov

( Log in with your FSA ID.)

Nelnet.com

( Log in with your Nelnet.com account.)

You create an FSA ID username and password to:

  • Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form
  • Complete your loan’s Master Promissory Note
  • View your grants and loans
  • Make a payment
  • Explore and apply for income-driven repayment (IDR) plan

You create a Nelnet username and password to:

  • View your current loan details
  • Make payments, including auto debit and special payment preferences
  • Explore and apply for repayment options
  • Explore and apply for deferments and forbearances

In More Detail

StudentAid.gov

About Your FSA ID

The FSA ID is the username and password combination that you use to access your Federal Student Aid account on StudentAid.gov and sign certain forms and applications electronically. If you have applied for federal student aid, you should have already created an FSA ID.

Go to the FSA log in page and enter your username and password.

If you think you have an FSA ID (and have just forgotten it), go to the FSA log in page to obtain your username and/or reset your password.

If you aren’t sure, check to see if you already have one. Go to the FSA log in page and try to log in. If you don’t have an FSA ID, go to the Create Account page to create one.

Nelnet.com

About Your Nelnet Username

Your Nelnet username is different from your FSA ID. You use it to view information specific to your federal student loans serviced by Nelnet.

Click “Log In” at the top of any page, or go to https://www.nelnet.com/account/login.

If you’ve forgotten your username, go to the Log In page and click on “Forgot Username?” If you’ve forgotten your password, enter your username and then click on “Forgot Password?”

How StudentAid.gov and Nelnet.com work together in more detail
StudentAid.gov Nelnet.com
What You Can Do Without Logging In

You can explore StudentAid.gov to learn more about:

  • Types of financial aid
  • How to apply for aid
  • Next steps after you've applied, to complete the aid process and get your funds
  • How to manage your federal student loans
  • Different repayment strategies or the impact of changing repayment plans using Loan Simulator

You can explore topics on the top green navigation bar, including:

  • About Payments
  • Repayment Options
  • About Student Loans
  • Help
What You Can Do While Logged In

In addition to the activities outlined in the "At a Glance" table above, you can perform the following activities pertaining to student loan repayment:

  • View loan servicer details for all your federal loans. ( Log in to the Nelnet website for the most up-to-date details.)
  • Use your loan information in Loan Simulator to explore and compare various repayment options and strategies, explore your options if you are experiencing financial hardship, or understand the impact of borrowing additional loans.
  • Apply for borrower defense to repayment.
  • Use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Help Tool to generate PSLF and Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) forms to request forgiveness, or receive confirmation of whether your loans, employment, and payments qualify.

Expanding on the activities outlined in the “At a Glance” table above, after you’ve signed in with your Nelnet username, you can:

  • See a simple snapshot of your account, including progress on repaying your loan, payments due, and any important actions you may need to take.
  • View current loan details, including remaining balance, principal, interest, and status.
  • View current payment information, including amount due, due date, and any past due amount.
  • Make and manage payments:
    • Pay current amount due, amount past due, or a payoff amount on some or all of your Nelnet-serviced loans
    • Set up and manage auto debit
    • Set up and manage special payment instructions
  • Explore repayment options based on your financial situation. If you can’t afford your monthly payments, you should explore your options on this site or contact us right away. The most important thing Nelnet does is help you get into a manageable repayment plan that leads to the successful repayment of your federal student loans.
  • Apply for deferment or forbearance, make standard repayment changes, and apply for changes to income-driven repayment plans (if your current income is different from your most recently filed federal tax return).

Which site should I use to apply for an IDR plan?

If your current income is consistent with your most recently filed income tax return, you should use StudentAid.gov to apply for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. There, you will be able to add your income information electronically to your IDR plan application.

If your income has changed significantly since last year, it may be best to log in to Nelnet.com, download the IDR form, and upload the completed form and most current income documentation so Nelnet can process your IDR plan request.

I've heard that Nelnet will not service loans for FSA after December 2020 — is that right?

No. FSA has a long-term vision to change how student loans are serviced, and in summer 2020, it announced new contracts as part of that vision. Nelnet will continue to service your loans for the foreseeable future and will contact you directly well in advance of any changes.

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