UHEAA is dedicated to helping our customers during this uncertain time. We want to make you aware of the steps we are taking to ease any potential financial burden you may be experiencing related to your student file.

– We offer multiple postponement options to suspend your payments
– We are not assessing any late fees during the period of March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020.
– We are maintaining our normal customer service hours and actively working to find new ways to assist you.

For more information about the available options, visit our COVID-19 FAQ page.

Consolidation

Federal Student Loans, both FFELP and Direct Loans, are eligible for loan consolidation through the Department of Education. Applying for consolidation is a free service that results in the combining of all eligible student loan debt into a new Direct Consolidation loan that is guaranteed by the Department of Education.

Before applying for consolidation, it is important to consider the outcomes of consolidation. There may be a better repayment option available to you and we recommend exploring all your options before applying for consolidation.

Listed below are some of the pros and cons to consider before applying for consolidation:

Pros:

-One interest rate

-All of the loans included in the consolidation will be serviced by one Federal servicer of your choosing.

-Consolidation may extend the terms or months to repay the debt. The terms are dependent on the amount of student loan debt included in the consolidation. Extended terms can potentially lower your monthly payment

-Direct Consolidation loans are eligible for additional repayment options

-Expanded loan forgiveness options

-No origination fees

Cons:

-Extended terms may increase the total amount of interest paid over the life of the loan

-Loss of borrower benefits (i.e. Interest discounts provided by your previous Guarantor)

-Loss of qualifying payments towards Income Driven Repayment (IDR) forgiveness

-Customers cannot un-consolidate their loans after they’ve been consolidated

How to Apply

If you are interested in consolidating your loans, you may apply online at StudentLoans.gov.

The Department of Education has assigned Navient to originate and process all new consolidation loans for NFP’s (Not-For-Profits). After submitting your application, Navient will begin the origination process. Please be advised, this process can take anywhere from 30 – 90 days to complete. We recommend you contact us to place a hold on your account once you’ve applied with Navient.

If you have questions regarding the status of your application, you will need to contact Navient directly through one of the methods below:

-Email: ED_Consolidation_Orig@navient.com

-Fax: (866) 233-8899

-Phone: (800) 722-1300

-Hours: Monday – Thursday 8 am – 9 pm ET and Friday 8 am – 8 pm ET

Once your consolidation loan has began, it will be transferred to the servicer of your choice. For additional information regarding consolidation, please visit StudentAid.gov.