Federal Loan Repayment Assistance

Did you get a call from federal loan repayment assistance counselor with the Arkansas Student Loan Authority?

We regularly reach out to borrowers who may be in need of repayment assistance. We are here to help you find the best repayment option for your current financial situation. You can reach our Federal Loan Repayment Assistance Counselors by calling 855-288-2094

ASLA is here to help you make wise debt management decisions. We are available to answer your repayment questions, help set up automatic debit to make your monthly payments or help find repayment options when you are having financial difficulties.

Visit studentaid.gov for an overview of all of your federal student loans. You will need your FSA ID to access the information. If you don't have an FSA ID you can request one while you’re on this site.

Federal Direct Loan Program

DON'T DEFAULT ON YOUR STUDENT LOAN! Default is the term used for failure to pay your student loan. There are many options available to postpone or lower your monthly payments to avoid the risk of default. The Federal government will impose serious consequences in an effort to collect student loan payments including, but not limited to wage garnishment, liens on your tax refunds, negative credit reporting and high collection fees.

If you have already defaulted on your student loan, you can still rehabilitate your loan out of collections and back to a student loan servicer. To start the process, you will need to contact the collection agency and make 9 on-time payments for an agreed upon amount. Payments can be as low as $5/month based on your financial situation.

Get Out of Default

Repayment Options

Your loan servicer can help you figure out what repayment option is best to help in your circumstance whether it is an income-driven repayment plan, career-based forgiveness program or extended repayment plan.

Deferment and forbearance are options to temporarily postpone your payments under special circumstances such as returning to school, a loan forgiveness application review or unemployment.

It is important to understand how much you owe in principal on your loan versus how much you owe in interest. You also need to be able to understand how paying just as little as $25 a month more on principal can significantly reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. You can run the numbers yourself using this Student Loan Repayment Calculator.

The U.S. Department of Education offers several different repayment plans. You are encouraged to use the Federal Student Aid Loan Simulator to get an early look at what repayment plans you may be eligible for and to receive a comparison of estimated monthly payment amounts for all federal student loan repayment plans.

STANDARD REPAYMENT PLAN

Standard repayment plans include making monthly payments over 10 years. Generally, you will pay less interest over the life of your loan under a standard plan than an extended or income-driven plan.

View Repayment Plan Info

Good to Know:

Eligible Loans – Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan, PLUS Loans
10 years repayment plan
120 Equal Payments
Most common plan
Saves you money over time, because you will pay the least amount of interest over the life of your loan
If you are considering Public Service Loan Forgiveness, this is not a qualifying repayment plan

GRADUATED REPAYMENT PLAN

Your payments start out low and increase every two years. The length of your repayment period will be up to 10 years. This plan may be right for you if you expect your income to increase steadily over time.

View Repayment Plan Info

Good to Know:

Eligible Loans – Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan, PLUS Loans, Consolidated Loans
10 year repayment plan for Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Plus loans and 10-30 for Consolidated Loans
Payment amounts begin lower and about every 2 years the amount increases to ensure loans are paid off in 10 years
You‘ll pay more over time than under the 10-year Standard Plan
If you are considering Public Service Loan Forgiveness, this is generally not a qualifying repayment plan

EXTENDED REPAYMENT PLAN

Extended repayment plans may be available if your total loan balance is over $30,000 in either Direct loans or FFELP, not a combination. These plans allow you to pay your loans over 25 years instead of 10. They may be good options if you need a lower monthly payment than a standard plan offers.

View Repayment Plan Info

Good to Know:

To be eligible, you must have more than $30,000 in outstanding Direct Loans
25 Year repayment plan
Payments may be fixed or graduated
Monthly payments will be lower under the 10-year Standard Plan
You will pay more over time than the 10-year Standard Plan
If you are considering Public Service Loan Forgiveness, this is not a qualifying repayment plan

INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLAN

Income-driven repayment plans allow you to make monthly payments that are based on your income and family size. As you earn more, you pay more. You'll need to provide some income information, such as a tax return, to qualify, and you'll also need to submit an Income-Driven Repayment application each year to remain in one of these plans.

View Repayment Plan Info

Good to Know:

To be eligible, you’ll need to submit an Income Driven Repayment application each year. The application requires income information, such as tax return, to be submitted
Payments are passed on your income and family size
As you earn more, you pay more
You will pay more over time than other plans using the Income-Driven Repayment Plan
If you're seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness, you should repay your federal student loans under an income-driven repayment plan

Federal Loan Program