What to do with student loans if you've been impacted by L.A.-area fires
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Student loan borrowers impacted by the Los Angeles-area fires, a federally declared natural disaster, are eligible for temporary relief.
The big picture: The wildfires caused much devastation, destroying entire neighborhoods and displacing thousands, with more than 88,000 people still under evacuation orders Tuesday — a week after the fires began.
- "To say this is a difficult time for those affected is a massive understatement, and how your student loans will get paid is likely low priority," Kate Wood, lending expert at NerdWallet, told Axios. "When you are able to, call your student loan servicer (for federal loans) or lender (for private loans) to ask about relief options."
Can you pause student loan payments?
If you live or work in an area affected by the fires, you can ask your loan servicer to pause or reduce your loan payments for up to 90 days through a natural disaster forbearance.
- Even if you've evacuated from your home, it's recommended you don't change your address with your servicer or on studentaid.gov because your address needs to be within a disaster area ZIP code to be eligible.
Yes, but interest will continue to accrue during the forbearance period on any unsubsidized loans, and you will still be responsible for paying that interest in the future
State of play: If you live in a zip code impacted by the fires, you should receive an email from the federal loan servicing team to notify you of your options.
- That email includes information on how to opt in to the forbearance, including by replying to the email or calling your servicer.
- If they haven't reached out to you, you can call your loan servicer. They should also have information posted on their website regarding available options.
What if you're already in deferment or forbearance?
If your account is already in deferment or forbearance, that will continue as it currently stands unless you contact Federal Student Aid and request that they replace it with a natural disaster forbearance.
- But if you're already in forbearance because you're on the SAVE plan, don't change a thing, Wood advised. "You're already off the hook for payments and with the SAVE administrative forbearance, interest isn't accruing," she explained.
Can I extend the pause?
Once the initial 90-day forbearance period related to the disaster is over, you can ask for more time.
- Your servicer can grant additional pauses, in 30-day increments.
- But the total period of forbearance can't exceed 12 monthly billing cycles from the date of the disaster.
What if I have privately held student loans?
Borrowers with privately held student loans can contact their lenders to ask about relief options.
- Most private lenders will grant at least a 30-day forbearance, Wood said.
More from Axios:
