Student Loan Relief: The Free Routes
LetterLotus doesn't write letters asking a student loan servicer for forbearance, deferment, a new repayment plan or forgiveness. You don't need a paid letter for any of those: the official requests go through StudentAid.gov and your servicer, and your servicer helps you with them for free.
The Free Federal Routes
- Applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan is free: you submit the request online at StudentAid.gov/idr, or send the official form and your income documents to your loan servicer (Federal Student Aid IDR FAQ).
- On an IDR plan, your monthly payment is based on your income and family size.
- To ask for a forbearance, you fill out the form for that forbearance type and send it to your federal student loan servicer, with any documents that show you qualify.
- Interest keeps accruing during a forbearance and the months don't count toward PSLF or IDR forgiveness, which is why StudentAid.gov suggests looking at an IDR plan first.
- Your servicer handles billing and other services on your federal loans at no cost to you, and you can find yours under “My Aid” on your StudentAid.gov dashboard.
- Federal Student Aid says you never have to pay for help with your federal student loans.
Apply for an IDR plan
Applying is free, and your payment is based on your income and family size.
Start at StudentAid.gov/idr →Ask your servicer for forbearance
You pick the forbearance type, fill out its form and send it to your servicer.
See the forbearance forms →Writing to Someone Other Than Your Loan Servicer?
If a student loan is just one of your monthly bills, you can still write a hardship letter to a landlord, employer, school or utility. List the loan payment with your other expenses. LetterLotus doesn't write letters to a student loan servicer or the Department of Education. For rent, utility and other bills, see hardship letters for other situations.