Student Debt

Welcome to our student loan informational web page. Our goal is to help you find a satisfactory path for resolution of your Federal or Private student loan(s) placed with ACSI. Some helpful links and resources can be found below to assist you in obtaining information regarding your student loan(s).

We are here to help you

We understand some individuals prefer to receive information online rather than talk to a representative on the telephone, but please keep in mind that we are unable to enroll you in a voluntary arrangement or accept payment information without first speaking to you by phone. ACSI is different in our desire to help you and we invite you to call our office for personal assistance. In an effort to help you decide the best option for you, we have linked information below along with the answers to some frequently asked questions.

FAQS

Welcome to our student loan informational web page. Our goal is to help you find a satisfactory solution to repayment of your Federal, Private or institutional student loan placed with ACSI for collection. Additionally, you may click on the most commonly asked questions and I will give you the answer. For qualifying Federal student loans, please see the options listed for rehabilitation and consolidation by clicking on the appropriate question… If you wish to make a payment on line, please click on the Make a Payment button. Thank you.

What should I do if my federal student loan is in default?

Generally speaking, for defaulted loans you have three options.  Loan Rehabilitation, Loan Consolidation or Repayment.

For more information on these options, please see the questions and answers listed below.  Our representatives are available to answer your questions and help you resolve your loan as you select the best option to repay.

How can I find out where my federal student loans are being serviced?

When speaking with your student loan servicer or a debt collector, be sure that you have written documentation about what federal student debt you owe. If you are concerned that you never borrowed certain loans, check the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) or telephone 1-800-433-3243 for information. If the loan does not appear there, contact the collector and inform the collector of the problem. Remember, that system shows only your federal student loans, and not your private student loans.

What options are available if I have a private student loan?

Private Student Loan lenders have different policies and options. Unfortunately, there are too many to list them individually. However, most private lenders have programs to assist borrowers having financial difficulties. These options may include settling your loan for less than you owe by paying off a reduced balance, programs to remove co-signers by paying specified amounts, or temporary lower monthly payment options.

If your loan is currently being serviced by ACSI, we can explain your options so you may make the best choice for repayment. Please contact our representatives selecting your preferred method of communication as listed on the contact page.

If I prefer to communicate by email or text, is that possible?

Yes, please select the Contact option above for additional communication options. You may also use the form response option at the bottom of the contact page. Please take note, personal information may be exchanged so ensure you are communicating by a method that is personal and private to your use.

Our friendly representatives are available to help you via any method you select including by telephone. Please don’t hesitate to contact ACSI as we are sincere in our desire to help you find the best solution to resolving your delinquency.

What is Loan Rehabilitation?

There are several options available to remove your loan from a default status. The most common program is student loan rehabilitation.  A synopsis of the program is below, but please keep in mind that we are unable to enroll you in a voluntary arrangement or accept payment information without first speaking to you by phone. To speak with one of our representatives directly about your account and/or initiate the setup process, please contact our office at 844-350-3434.

Loan Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a program to give you a fresh start by removing your student loan(s) from a default status.  Once your loan is rehabilitated your credit record will be cleared of any derogatory information pertaining to this loan.  You may then regain eligibility for benefits that were available before your loan defaulted.

Benefits may include:

• Deferment
• Forbearance
• Choice of repayment plans
• Loan Forgiveness
• Eligibility for additional federal student aid

To rehabilitate your defaulted student loan(s), you must agree to make nine voluntary, on-time, affordable monthly payments during a period of 10 consecutive months. Lower qualifying payments may be possible as they are in proportion to your income.
Generally, your payment amount under an income-based repayment plan is a percentage of your discretionary income.
Once you have agreed to pay your monthly payment determined by the rehab calculator and returned any required financial documentation, a rehabilitation agreement will be sent to you.
Your loan is rehabilitated once the agreed-upon on time monthly payments have been made, your signed rehabilitation agreement has been returned and the loan has been purchased by a lender.

What should I do when my loan rehabilitates?

When your loan rehabilitates, the guaranty agency arranges to transfer your loan or loans to the new lender. When this takes place, the new lender is responsible for servicing your loan. They will attempt to contact you and will send a bill for your monthly payments. The payments may be higher than you expected, however you can request a new more affordable repayment schedule or apply for a forbearance or deferment if eligible.

We urge you to contact the lender as soon as possible. Do not wait, it is your responsibility to make payments or to request a more affordable repayment plan or your loan may default again. Your lender is committed to working with you to keep you current and explain your options. Should you default again, your credit may be affected as well as the balance may increase due to the addition of collection costs.

Finally, we implore you to take positive action to maintain a current status on your loan to avoid the consequences of default.

How do I participate in the rehabilitation program?

To participate in the rehabilitation program, you must call our representatives as Federal Regulations must be followed in determining your monthly payment.

The Federal Government requires your payment amount be determined by your income as reported to the IRS, the number of your dependents and may include your monthly living expenses. The required monthly payment is proportionate to your income and typically can be very affordable. These regulations require providing personal information about your finances and you must also sign and return a rehabilitation agreement. All information you provide is kept confidential.

You must complete all three requirements to rehabilitate your loan. First, provide financial information to determine your monthly payment. Second, you must agree to the rehabilitation by signing and returning to ACSI the rehabilitation agreement. Third, you must make all required payments in the agreed upon amount and timely.

What is the fastest and possibly least expensive way to repay my loan?

If you can afford to pay off your defaulted federal loan, this is the fastest way to settle your debt. Under certain circumstances, your debt collector may be authorized to waive some of your outstanding fees and other collection costs. For some borrowers, this can be the cheapest way to bring a federal student loan out of default.

Your defaulted debt will be gone afterward, but it will continue to appear on your credit report as a defaulted loan that was repaid. You will also restore your eligibility for federal student aid, if you chose to go back to school.

Please see the answers to other questions regarding rehabilitation and consolidation in determining the best option for you.

Will you accept monthly payments if I cannot pay the total amount of my bill?

Yes, we are here to help you and monthly payments can be made by visiting our payment website clicking on Make A Payment, or you may telephone our office at the toll free telephone number listed above under Contact. If you cannot afford the minimum payment offered online, please call our office and we may be able to offer you a temporary payment program to fit your circumstances.

Please keep in mind based upon the type of your student debt or who the creditor is may limit options available to you.

What is Loan Consolidation?

Below is a synopsis of this program, but please keep in mind that we are unable to enroll you in a voluntary arrangement or accept payment information without first speaking to you by phone. Please contact our office at 866-376-7835 to initiate the setup process.
Loan Consolidation

• Loan consolidation is a program that allows you to pay off the outstanding combined balance(s) for one or more federal student loans in order to create a new single loan with a fixed interest rate.
• To start the process, a representative will take a brief financial statement and set temporary monthly payments based on the information given.
• The application will then be mailed/faxed/emailed to you for completion and the original will need to be returned to our office as soon as possible.
• Once ACSI receives your completed application, it will be sent to a servicer for processing.
• This process may take up to 90 days to complete.
• You can also consolidate your loans on your own by visiting StudentLoans.gov to complete an online application.

Should I consolidate my loans?

There is no fee to consolidate your Federal Student Loan regardless if you have only one loan or more. Once you apply, the consolidation is typically completed within 60 days. The new consolidation loan is also a Federal Student loan offered to borrowers who have federal loans that are current, delinquent or in default.

Carefully consider whether loan consolidation is the best option for you. Loan consolidation can greatly simplify loan repayment by centralizing your loans to one bill and can lower monthly payments by giving you up to 30 years to repay your loans. You might also have access to alternative repayment plans you would not have had before, and you’ll be able to switch your variable interest rate loans to a fixed interest rate.

However, if you increase the length of your repayment period, you’ll also make more payments and pay more in interest. Be sure to compare your current monthly payments to what monthly payments would be if you consolidated your loans.

Once your loans are combined into a Direct Consolidation Loan, they cannot be removed. The loans that were consolidated are paid off and no longer exist.

How do I apply for a direct consolidation loan?

You apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan through the website StudentLoans.gov. This process offers both electronic and paper options. You can complete the electronic application as explained below or you can download and print a paper application from StudentLoans.gov for submission by U.S. mail.

For assistance, you may also contact you’re ACSI representative and we will walk you through the process and if you prefer send you the paper application we can assist you by ensuring it is complete.

Please contact us via phone or email to let us know you have elected this option so we may flag your account to provide assistance as necessary.

If I have a dispute in the amount I owe or for some other reason what should I do?

Please go to our Contact page and fill out the online form to contact us. We ask that you explain the reason for your dispute including information supporting your dispute. Please put dispute in the subject line to classify your inquiry. Our staff will acknowledge your communication and please keep in mind it may take time to review and obtain information regarding your dispute. We will respond once the information is received.

If your dispute is of an urgent issue, please call our Consumer Help Line to provide personal assistance.

It is also important to note the most common disputes for student loan debt are related to charging interest and the addition of collection costs. We refer you to your promissory note as adding interest is permitted. Also, the addition of collection costs for federal student loans is authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended.

This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.