How to Deal with Student Loan Servicer Long Hold Times

Contact centers operated by student loan servicers and Federal Student Aid (FSA) are overwhelmed. When the payment pause ended, a system designed to support 325,000 new borrowers per month was overrun by 30 million. The result is extremely long hold times for borrowers searching for help.

Waiting on hold is frustrating and can be a major inconvenience. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your wait time. Some may even help you avoid a call in the first place.

Self-Service Options

If you have questions about your loans, you may be able to find the answers on your own. Try using these resources:

• Find My Loan Info – Student Connections has collected borrowers’ most common questions and instructions on how to find the answers through your FSA or loan servicer online accounts.
• Your loan servicer’s website – Your servicer’s site might offer resources specific to the support you need.
• FSA’s Help Center – FSA’s website is a great resource for more detailed information on specific repayment options.

It may take you some time to research your questions, but likely less than what you’d spend on the phone.

Alternate Contact Methods

If you can’t find answers to your questions or need help only your loan servicer can provide, explore alternate contact options. Check your loan servicer’s website to see what support options they offer. Consider using:

• Email – Best for issues that can be handled over a period of days or weeks. Using email lets you address problems on your schedule rather than being tied to call center hours.
• Chat – Using chat makes it easier for you to do other things while waiting for an agent to assist you. Bonus: No annoying hold music.

Know Your Options

Researching your needs and available options before calling your servicer is vital. If you can identify a solution beforehand, you can shorten the time spent speaking with a call center agent. It will also give you time to consider your choice rather than feeling pressured into one.

Student Connections’ website offers exercises to help you identify your needs and guidance on which repayment options might fit them. If you prefer to talk with a human, you can speak with one of our Borrower Advocates at no cost to you.

Calling Your Servicer

Sometimes, you can’t avoid a call. You may need your servicer to change your repayment plan, set up a forbearance, or provide information you can’t find anywhere else. At this point, all you can do is make the experience as brief and painless as possible.

The following tips can help shorten your time on hold or at least reduce your frustration:

• Call Early in the Day – Servicers report shorter hold times earlier in the day. Calling as soon as the customer support center opens can minimize your wait. Generally, loan servicers open at 8 a.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday. You can find your servicer’s exact call center hours on their website.
• Schedule Time for Your Call – Calling on the spur of the moment is likely to result in frustration as time on hold eats into the day you had planned. Instead, treat your call like a meeting. Create an appointment on your calendar and make sure you have nothing scheduled that it might conflict with.
• Get Comfortable – Set up a space where you can comfortably wait, grab something to drink, and plan an activity to do while you’re on hold.

Be Patient

One final note: This is a rough time for both student loan borrowers and call center agents. You’re likely to feel stress when you call your servicer. You may be aggravated by the wait. As much as you possibly can, try to be patient with the agent on the other end of the line.