Now, more than ever, borrowers are finding themselves in need of reliable information and support as student loan payments resume after a three-year hiatus. One of the largest student loan servicing companies is MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.
In this article, we'll explore MOHELA, who they are, what they do and provide essential insights on how to login and get in contact with their customer service.
What is MOHELA?
Let's begin with the basics. MOHELA, again short for the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, is a nonprofit organization that partners with the U.S. Department of Education to service federal student loans.
For more than 30 years MOHELA has been a student loan servicer and since July 2022 has been the main servicer of student loans that qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
Is MOHELA a Federal Student Loan?
No, MOHELA is not a federal student loan. Rather, they collaborate closely with the U.S. Department of Education to manage and service federal student loans.
This partnership means that if MOHELA is your loan servicer, they are responsible for administering your federal student loans on behalf of the government.
How Do I Know If MOHELA Is My Servicer?
Determining your federal loan servicer is crucial for effective communication and loan management. If your contact information was up to date then you should have received a welcome letter or notification about the change. If this didn't happen don't worry.. keep reading!
If you're unsure whether MOHELA services your loans, you can visit the Federal Student Aid website and log in to your account dashboard.
From here you can create an account or login. Once this is complete, scroll down to the "My Loan Servicers" section. If you're having any trouble, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243.
We also have breakdowns on other big name federal student loan servicers: Aidvantage and Nelnet.
Why Did My Student Loans Go to MOHELA?
Understanding why your student loans were transferred to MOHELA can provide clarity. Loan servicing transfers can happen for various reasons, including changes in federal contracts or allocation of loans among servicers. It's important to note that regardless of which servicer manages your loans, you have the right to know why there was a change and it's okay to ask.
Many of our readers have had their student loan servicers change, with one having their loans moved twice in one year! Knowing this, it's incredibly important to stay on top of your federal student loans and update your contact information so you can be alerted of any changes.
If you're not on top of this, you could hurt your credit score or worse.. have the government take up to 15% of your paychecks. Read more about the implications of not knowing who your student loan servicer is.
MOHELA Public Service Loan Forgiveness
MOHELA is the loan servicer that's been assigned by the Department of Education to oversee PSLF applications. If you're pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), then MOHELA will play a significant role in your journey. Below are ways to contact MOHELA customer service in case you have any questions.
How to Login to MOHELA
Alright, by now you may have finally figured out that MOHELA is servicing your student loans. So how do you access your account on their website? Follow the below steps:
MOHELA Login
On the homepage of MOHELA's website you may be greeted with some important announcements that pop up. Read through these and then close them out when you're done.
From there you will see a button, on both desktop and mobile, to either register or log in to your account.
That's it! If you end up getting stuck or need more assistance you can get in touch with MOHELA's customer service team.
How to Contact MOHELA Customer Service
If you need to contact MOHELA customer service, there are a few different ways you can do so. You can reach them by telephone, fax or send them a secure message via their contact us page.
MOHELA Phone Number
Direct Loan (DL) / Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Servicing:
888.866.4352 (Toll Free)
636.532.0600 (International)
Public Service Loan Forgiveness:
855.265.4038 (Toll Free)
MOHELA Fax
1.866.222.7060 (Toll Free)
636.787.2790 (International)
MOHELA Secure Message
Send inquiries through the secure messaging portal on the MOHELA contact us page. Under the How Can We Assist you section you will be asked to provide your state of residency, select a topic from the dropdown list and then send your message will appear. Click this to send your message to MOHELA.
MOHELA Hours of Operation
Direct Loan (DL) / Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Servicing & Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Information:
Hours of Operation:
Monday: 7 AM – 8 PM CT
Tuesday - Wednesday: 7 AM – 7 PM CT
Thursday - Friday: 7 AM – 5 PM CT
Final Thoughts
As the burden of student loan repayment resumes, remember that you're not alone in this journey. Be sure to get in touch with MOHELA if you have questions or something looks off in terms of your repayment plan.
Managing student loans can be overwhelming, especially after a prolonged hiatus. Dwindle is here to support you and if you need a pick me up or boost, check out our social channels like TikTok. You'll see relatable content and you can sign up for our newsletter below.
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