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MOHELA is a company that services federal student loans by collecting and tracking payments. Also called the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, it's a nonprofit servicer that manages both federal and private student loans.
MOHELA is among the largest student loan servicers — and the only servicer for borrowers enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) — but that is set to change this year.
» MORE: MOHELA Senate hearing: what borrowers should know
More than one million MOHELA borrowers will be transferred to a new servicer in the coming months, according to an April 29 blog post by the Education Department. That means MOHELA will no longer be the sole servicer for borrowers enrolled in PSLF. If you're affected by the servicer transfer, expect notifications from both MOHELA and your new servicer, with instructions about preparing for the move.
Additionally, the Education Department will start taking over administration of PSLF and the TEACH Grant Program starting May 1. There will be a PSLF and Teach Grant processing pause from May 1 through July, while the administrative transfer is underway.
» MORE: How to prepare for the 3-month PSLF processing pause
If MOHELA is your servicer, here's what you need to know.
What MOHELA does for student loan borrowers
If MOHELA is your federal student loan servicer, here’s what it can help you do.
Register for online access to your account. Once you have access you can contact MOHELA, access your monthly billing statements and pay bills.
Enroll in autopay. MOHELA can deduct your payments automatically from your bank account. Signing up for autopay will reduce your interest by 0.25 percentage point.
Sign up for income-driven repayment. You can request income-driven repayment, which limits your student loan payments to a percentage of your income, by completing a paper form with MOHELA. (You can apply online on studentaid.gov and then recertify your income each year online as well.)
Process deferment and forbearance requests. MOHELA can help you temporarily stop making payments or reduce your payment amount if you qualify. This helps you stay in good standing to avoid default. But during any periods of deferment or forbearance, interest can continue to build.
Process monthly payments and extra payments. MOHELA will track and collect your payments. If you want to make additional payments, you can instruct MOHELA (online, by phone or by mail) to apply extra payments to your current balance. Otherwise, it may apply the additional amount to next month’s payment instead.
Process applications for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Until May 1, 2024, MOHELA will be the only federal loan servicer that handles PSLF applications, including processing employment certification forms. After May 1, the Education Department will directly manage PSLF forms and payment counts.
» MORE: Student loan servicers: Who are they and what do they do?
Your loan servicer is assigned by the U.S. Department of Education when your loan is disbursed to your college for the first time. The name of the company sending you a federal loan bill every month is your servicer. If your loan payments haven’t begun or you’re not sure which company is your servicer, log in to My Federal Student Aid to find out. You can also get in touch with any of the loan servicer contact centers by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.
Servicers are there to help you, but they may offer choices that are best for the company, not the borrower. It’s most important to know your student loan repayment options so you can know the right questions to ask.
» MORE: Calling your servicer? It pays to prepare
Preparing for the MOHELA servicer transfer
At MOHELA's request, the Education Department is moving more than one million borrower accounts from MOHELA to other servicers. This transfer will happen "over the next several months," according to an April 29 announcement.
If the government transfers your loans to another servicer, both MOHELA and your new servicer will notify you.
To prepare for a smooth transition, do the following:
Download and save your payment history from your online MOHELA account or request a copy from MOHELA.
Set up an online account with your new servicer.
See AlsoFAQsUpdate your contact information in your new servicer account.
Submit banking information or set up autopay with your new servicer.
After a transfer, you’ll manage payments and general loan questions with the new servicer. If you're enrolled in PSLF, you'll reach out to the Education Department directly with any PSLF-related questions. If you enroll in the PSLF program going forward, your federal student loans will remain with your current servicer.
How to reach MOHELA customer service
MOHELA phone numbers:
For Direct Loans and FFELP loan servicing: 1-888-866-4352.
For PSLF: 855-265-4038.
MOHELA hours of operation: Monday 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. CT; Tuesday - Wednesday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. CT.; Thursday - Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT.
MOHELA address for loan payments: All payment addresses depend on your location. Login to your MOHELA account or call for the correct address.
MOHELA address for general correspondence:
MOHELA 633 Spirit DriveChesterfield, MO 63005-1243
MOHELA website: mohela.com.
MOHELA social channels: MOHELA Facebook & MOHELA Twitter.
How to complain about MOHELA
If you’re having difficulty with MOHELA that you have been unable to resolve, start by filing a complaint directly with the MOHELA's customer service department.
If your issue goes unresolved, you can also make complaints about MOHELA to:
Make sure to keep records of conversations you have, including the day, time and customer service representative you spoke with. Keep copies of any letters, bills or emails about your account.
In October 2023, the Education Department directed MOHELA to place some borrowers into an administrative forbearance after the servicer failed to send out timely billing statements. During this forbearance, borrowers did not owe payments.
» MORE: How to complain about your student loan bill
How to settle a dispute with MOHELA
If a complaint doesn’t help, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group. This method should be used only as a last resort, says the federal student aid office. When you’re ready to reach out, here’s how to get in touch:
Phone: 1-877-557-2575.
By mail: U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman Group
P.O. Box 1854
Monticello, KY 42633
You can also reach out to a student loan nonprofit such as The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, which provides free dispute resolution.
The federal student loan servicers
Learn more about each of the federal loan servicers, including what they can do and how to contact.
Aidvantage (took over Navient portfolio) |
Edfinancial Services (took over GSMR portfolio) |
Great Lakes |
MOHELA |
Nelnet |
OSLA |
American Education Services manages only FFEL Program debt. |
Default Resolution Group services only federal student loans in default. |
Heartland ECSI is a servicer for borrowers with federal Perkins loans. |
FedLoan Servicing is no longer active. |
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