Department Of Student Loans

Q: Is there a department of student loans for people to contact when they need help borrowing student loans for college?

A: There is no encompassing department of student loans which proceeds over all student loans borrowed. However, there are a few departments and organizations, which act as a “department of student loans” of sorts to their respective student loan programs and products.

For federal student loans and federal financial aid for college the “department of student loans” is known as Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education. Federal Student Aid oversees a variety of federal financial aid programs (including federal student loans) that help students and their families cover college expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. To apply for federal student loans and financial aid, you need to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) located at www.fafsa.gov. If you have general questions regarding federal student loans for college, take a look at our Federal Student Loans section. If you have specific questions regarding your federal student loan eligibility and award amounts, contact The Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) via one of the provided methods listed on www.fafsa.gov.

For non federal student loans, such as private student loans, each lending institution may have it’s own department of student loans. If you have general questions regarding private student loans, view our Private Student Loans section. If you have questions specific to your own private student loans, contact your lender. As a general resource for financial aid and student loan questions, you can also think of your schools financial aid office as a “department of student loans”. Your schools financial aid staff are educated on all financial aid matters (including student loans for college), and are often happy to assist you.