Understanding borrower responsibilities

Take a moment to review your rights and responsibilities as a borrower.

Managing your loans

Your rights as a borrower

  • Before you begin to repay your student loan, your loan holder must provide a repayment schedule and detailed information about interest rates, fees, and the balance you owe. In addition, your loan holder will provide you with information on the repayment options available on your federal student loans.
  • You may have a right to defer payments for certain defined periods or to request forbearance, if you qualify.
  • You may be eligible to repay under a graduated or income-based schedule.
  • You may prepay in full or in part at any time without penalty.
  • You will be notified when your loan is paid in full.

Your responsibilities as a borrower

  • You must pay your student loans (including interest or fees, if applicable) on time even if you don't finish your education, don't get a job, or don't feel satisfied with the education you receive.
  • If you request deferment or forbearance, you must continue to make scheduled payments until your student loan is placed in deferment or forbearance. Sallie Mae customers may view their loan status at Manage Your Loans.
  • You must notify your student loan holder or servicer immediately of any change to your name, address, telephone number, employer, or Social Security number.

Refer to your Promissory Note for a complete list of borrower rights and responsibilities for your student loan(s).

Exit counseling

Federal regulations require that institutions offer exit counseling to federal student loan borrowers who are leaving school or dropping below half-time enrollment. Exit counseling covers:

  • Borrower's rights and responsibilities
  • Loan repayment
  • Consequences of default

During exit counseling, borrowers are also required to provide updated personal information, such as address, telephone number, and employment.

Schools must keep documentation that shows that the borrower received the required exit counseling, either in person, electronically, or by mail.

If a borrower withdraws from school without the school’s knowledge, or if a borrower fails to attend a scheduled exit counseling session, the school must mail written exit counseling materials to the borrower at his or her last known address.


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Important changes to your student loans

Your student loan terms may change due to a number of factors including new legislation, military deployment, financial hardship, or other variables. Find out the latest changes in student loan terms.

A note to Mozilla Firefox users

A bug in the Mozilla Firefox 2.0 browser's Password Manager can reveal your passwords in clear text. Learn more about it.

Loan cancellation and forgiveness

A loan may be eligible for discharge if the borrower or student dies.

If you have taught or are teaching in a low-income school, you might be eligible for the federal Teacher loan forgiveness program.


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