Student loan payments resume on the schedule your loan servicer sets, which depends on the loan type and when your pause period ends
Federal student loan payments stopped in March 2020 and have been paused several times since. As of now, payments have resumed for most borrowers. Your servicer — the company that collects your payments — will send you a notice at least 21 days before your first payment is due. If you have federal loans, check your servicer's website or call them directly to confirm your restart date, because the date varies by loan type and servicer.
Private student loans never paused. If you have private loans, your payments continued throughout the federal pause period, and you should already know your payment schedule from your loan documents or lender's website.
The key difference between federal and private loans matters here: federal loans come with income-driven repayment plans that can lower your monthly payment, while private loans do not. If your income has changed since you last made payments, you may be able to reduce what you owe each month on federal loans.
Key Takeaways
- Your loan servicer will mail or email you a notice at least 21 days before your first payment is due, and you can also check your servicer's website for your exact restart date.
- Federal loans may offer income-driven repayment plans that can lower your monthly payment if your income has dropped or you have dependents.
- Private student loans never paused and have been collecting payments throughout the federal pause period.
- If you cannot make your first payment when it is due, contact your servicer before the due date to discuss options like deferment or forbearance.
- Payments on federal loans in default may be subject to wage garnishment or tax refund offset, which begins only after notice and a chance to respond.
How to find your loan servicer and restart date
Your loan servicer is the company that collects your payments, not the school that issued the loan. To find your servicer, go to studentaid.gov and log in with your FSA ID. Under "My Loans," you will see each loan listed with the servicer's name and contact information. You can also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) and they will tell you your servicer.
Once you know your servicer, visit their website or call them to confirm your restart date. Some servicers post restart dates on their homepage; others require you to log into your account. Write down the date and the amount of your monthly payment. If you do not receive a notice from your servicer at least 21 days before the due date, contact them to confirm the information is correct.
For private loans, contact your lender directly. Private loan servicers do not use the federal system, so you will need to check your loan documents or log into your lender's website to see your payment schedule.
Income-driven repayment plans and how they affect your payment
If you have federal loans, you may be able to lower your monthly payment by switching to an income-driven repayment plan. These plans set your payment based on what you earn rather than what you owe. The four income-driven plans are Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR). Each one calculates your payment differently and has different rules about what counts as income.
To switch plans, log into your servicer's website or call them and ask to change your repayment plan. You will need to provide recent income information — usually your most recent tax return or a statement from your employer. The servicer will calculate your new payment and send you a notice. If your income has dropped significantly, your payment could fall to $0 per month, though you will still owe the loan and interest will accrue.
Income-driven plans also offer Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if you work for a government agency or nonprofit. After 120 may have access to payments under an income-driven plan, the remaining balance is forgiven. This is a federal program, not a servicer program, so you manage it separately through the PSLF Help Tool at studentaid.gov.
What to do if you cannot make your first payment
If your payment is due and you do not have the money, contact your servicer before the due date. Do not wait until after you miss the payment. Your servicer can place your loan in deferment or forbearance, which pauses payments temporarily. Deferment stops interest from accruing on subsidized federal loans; forbearance does not. Both options are temporary — usually 6 to 12 months — and you will owe the full amount when the pause ends.
Another option is to switch to an income-driven repayment plan, which may lower your payment enough that you can afford it. This is permanent (you can change plans later) and does not require you to prove hardship the way deferment and forbearance do.
If you have private loans, contact your lender directly. Private lenders are not required to offer deferment or forbearance, though some do. Ask what options are available and whether missing a payment will trigger late fees or a report to credit bureaus.
How missed payments affect your credit and what happens next
A payment is considered late if it arrives more than 15 days after the due date. Once a payment is 30 days late, your servicer will report it to credit bureaus, which will lower your credit score. The longer the payment stays unpaid, the worse the damage: 60 days late, 90 days late, and 120 days late each trigger additional reports.
Once a federal loan is 270 days late (about 9 months), it goes into default. At that point, the entire remaining balance becomes due when ready, and the government can take action to collect: wage garnishment (taking money from your paycheck), tax refund offset (keeping your refund), or a lawsuit. Before any of these happen, you will receive notice and a chance to respond.
If your loan goes into default, you can get out by making three consecutive on-time payments or by consolidating the loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Consolidation combines all your federal loans into one new loan with a fresh payment schedule, which removes the default status. You can consolidate through studentaid.gov.
The difference between federal and private loan restart rules
Federal loans paused from March 2020 through the periods set by the government. Private loans never paused. If you have both types, your restart dates are different and your payment options are different.
| Feature | Federal Loans | Private Loans |
|---|---|---|
| Payment pause | Paused March 2020 through August 2023 (or later for some borrowers) | Never paused; payments continued |
| Repayment plan options | Four income-driven plans available | Fixed payment schedule set by lender |
| Interest accrual during pause | No interest accrued during pause | Interest accrued throughout |
| Deferment or forbearance | Available; deferment stops interest on subsidized loans | Not required; varies by lender |
| Default process | 270 days late; wage garnishment possible | Varies by lender; typically 120 days late |
If you have private loans and fell behind during the pause period, you may have already been reported to credit bureaus or had wages garnished. Contact your lender to understand where you stand and what options exist to catch up.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly do my payments start?
Your servicer will send you a notice at least 21 days before your first payment is due. Check your servicer's website or call them directly if you have not received a notice. The restart date depends on your loan type and servicer, so do not assume it is the same as someone else's.
Can I change my repayment plan before payments restart?
Yes. You can switch to an income-driven plan at any time by contacting your servicer. If your income has dropped, switching plans before your first payment is due may lower what you owe each month. You will need recent income information to complete the switch.
What happens if I miss my first payment?
Contact your servicer before the due date to discuss deferment, forbearance, or a repayment plan change. If you miss the payment, it will be reported to credit bureaus after 30 days and will lower your credit score. After 270 days, the loan goes into default and the government can garnish wages or offset tax refunds.
Do I have to pay back the interest that accrued during the pause?
No. During the federal pause, interest did not accrue on federal loans. Your balance is the same as it was when the pause began. Private loans accrued interest throughout, so your balance is higher than it was before the pause.
What if I have both federal and private loans?
Your federal loans restarted on the federal schedule; your private loans never paused. Contact each servicer separately to confirm your payment dates and amounts. You may be able to lower your federal payment through an income-driven plan, but private lenders do not offer that option.