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Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters

QuestionI've been impacted by a major disaster, and can't afford my loan payments. What should I do? Answer

When a disaster impacts your ability to make your on-time monthly payments, it is important that you contact us immediately even if you're not sure if your situation is considered a "major" disaster. We may be able to help provide temporary relief from your student loan payments while you recover as long as you call, or notify us of your situation in writing or via email, providing the following details:

Type of disaster (i.e. hurricane, tornado, etc.)
The date of the disaster and the date you were impacted
Where/How you were impacted (i.e. home, work, etc.)

In some cases, the Department of Education may notify us to place a forbearance on accounts of those who live in the affected areas. If we do this, we will notify you of the forbearance and how long it will be available for. If you are able to make payments, you can choose to remove the forbearance at any time.

QuestionWhat qualifies as a major disaster? Answer

A natural disaster in any part of the United States, which the President determines causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organization in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused by the disaster.

If you've been affected by a disaster, and require assistance, notify us immediately. Depending on the type of the disaster, you may be eligible for temporary relief of your student loan obligations.

Examples may include, but are not limited to: a hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm or drought, or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion.

QuestionWhat should I do if deadlines are approaching to submit required documentation for my student loan programs? Answer

If you are living in an area impacted by a major disaster, and anticipate issues with meeting documentation deadlines on your account, please contact us immediately! We may be able to provide temporary assistance to help you avoid issues with meeting specialty program deadlines. This includes annual re-certifications for Income-Based repayment plans.

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