Recently, President Biden stated that the federal government would forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for many low- or middle-income individuals who borrowed money from the federal government for school. This has led to a flood of questions from former and current college students.
What is personal loan forgiveness, some have asked, and how does it work? Others want to know additional details regarding this historic announcement.
In this article, we'll answer one of the most commonly asked student loan questions that's making the rounds online: whether you can ask for a refund on student loan payments.
Private Student Loans
The first thing worth knowing about the $20,000 in student loan forgiveness that President Biden mentioned is that it applies to students who borrowed money from the federal government, not a private lender. If you borrowed money for school from one of the many private lenders out there, you can't get a refund on that.
Who's Eligible for a Refund?
Let's say you're one of the individuals who borrowed money for college from the federal government. You also made payments on or after March 13 of 2020, when Covid-19 was on the rise and shutdowns were taking place.
If so, you're eligible to ask for a refund on those payments of up to $20,000, whether you paid through smaller amounts or paid off all your debt via a lump sum. The White House estimates that about 27 million Americans might meet this qualification.
There are certain stipulations about who's eligible, so you'll need to do a little research to see whether you meet all the terms and conditions. For instance, if you made payments for a Perkins loan or FFELP loan you took out, you may not be able to get a refund on that money.
Should You Make This Request?
If you think you might qualify, you may feel like asking for a refund is a no-lose proposition. However, some financial experts warn that you should proceed with caution.
The reality is that the full details of the loan cancelation program have not been released yet. If you're experiencing financial hardship and badly need the money you put toward federal student loans after March 13, 2020, you can move forward. Otherwise, it's prudent to wait a little while to see what details the White House releases regarding this program.
How Do You Put in a Refund Request?
If you need money urgently and think you'll qualify for this program, you can look into it by contacting the Federal Education Department. You'll need your loan servicer's phone number, the address where you want your refund delivered, or your bank account routing number for your refund. The person you speak to will probably ask for your social security number as well.
You might deal with long wait times since this program has received a lot of attention, and millions of people want refunds. If you're persistent, though, you should eventually get a chance to speak to an Education Department representative.
You Might Be Eligible for a Refund
If you took out federal student loans and made any payments after March 13 of 2020, you can probably get one of the refunds President Biden mentioned as part of the federal loan forgiveness plan. Remember that anyone who took out private loans and made payments before that date is not eligible.
Some financial experts feel you should wait for more program details before you try to get your loan money refunded. If you're experiencing financial hardship, though, you may not want to hesitate.
Contact the Federal Education Department and have the information we mentioned ready. If you learn you're eligible for one of these refunds, that cash windfall should be extremely beneficial.
Contact Information:
Carolina d'Arbelles-Valle
carolina.darbellesv@iquanti.com
+1 305 849 8443
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Original Source: Credello: Can You Ask for a Refund on Student Loan Payments?
