Hardship Letter for Student Loans: The Free Routes to Use Instead

You don't need a hardship letter for a federal student loan

If your federal student loan payment no longer fits your budget, the fix is a free request, not a letter: it's free to apply for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan at StudentAid.gov/idr. StudentAid.gov says you never have to pay for help with your federal student loans, and your loan servicer will help you for free. LetterLotus doesn't write student loan forbearance, IDR or forgiveness letters; the free routes below do the same job.

This guide covers the three free routes for federal loans, plus how to spot a paid offer you don't need.

Route 1: Apply for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan

• On an IDR plan, your monthly payment is based on your income and family size or number of dependents, not on how much you owe.
• Applying is free: you submit an IDR Plan Request at StudentAid.gov/idr, or, if you can't apply online, send the official request form and your income documents to your servicer.
• Most people finish the online application in 10 minutes or less, and you need a verified FSA ID and your financial information.
• Which IDR plans you can choose depends on your loan type and disbursement dates, and if all your loans were disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, the only IDR plan available is the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).
• If you're already on an IDR plan and your income or family size changes, you can recertify right away or ask for a recalculation.

Route 2: Ask your servicer for forbearance

• With forbearance, you won't have to make a payment, or you can make a smaller payment for a while.
• Interest keeps accruing during a forbearance, and the months don't count toward PSLF or IDR forgiveness.
• Forbearance is limited, so StudentAid.gov suggests looking at an IDR plan first.
• To apply, you pick the forbearance type, fill out its form, gather documents that show you qualify, and send them to your federal student loan servicer.
• Your servicer decides on a general forbearance, and financial difficulties, medical expenses and a change in employment are among the reasons you can give.

Route 3: Find your loan servicer

• Your servicer handles billing and other services on your federal loans at no cost to you, and works with you on repayment options such as IDR plans and consolidation.
• To find yours, log in to StudentAid.gov, go to "My Aid" on your dashboard, and select "View loan servicer details".
• The servicers for loans the U.S. Department of Education owns are Edfinancial, MOHELA, Aidvantage, Nelnet, ECSI, Default Resolution Group and CRI.
• If your loans are in default, contact the Department of Education's Default Resolution Group.
• For other questions, the Federal Student Aid Information Center is at 1-800-433-3243.

Skip paid student loan relief offers

• Many student loan debt relief companies charge a fee for things you can do yourself for free by contacting your servicer.
• At no cost, the Department of Education and its servicers can help you lower your monthly payment, change your repayment plan, consolidate federal loans, postpone payments while you're in school or unemployed, see if you qualify for forgiveness, and get out of default.
• Never give out a credit card or bank account number unless you know the organization is legitimate.

Getting Started

For a lower payment based on your income, start at StudentAid.gov/idr. For a short pause, fill out the form for the forbearance type you need and send it to your federal student loan servicer. We keep the free federal routes on one page.