Copyright CNBC
As the federal government shutdown drags on, student loan borrowers who need assistance with their accounts have plenty of resources available. Even shuttered, the U.S. Department of Education may still be helpful. "Some of the Federal Student Aid call centers are still operational as they are actually staffed by contractors rather than direct employees of the federal government," said Nancy Nierman, assistant director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York. To reach the Federal Student Aid Information Center, you call 1-800-4FED-AID, or 1-800-433-3243. Here's what borrowers need to know about other options. Those pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness can still submit the form to verify their employment and get a pretty quick count of their qualifying payments, Nierman said. PSLF allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans scrubbed after 120 payments. But most loan forgiveness is on hold for now, she said, as the Education Department's staff has to approve those requests. You can likely get most of your questions answered with your student loan servicer, Nierman said. "Loan servicers are government contractors and have funding to keep operating during a shutdown," Nierman said. "Billing, payments and processing of certain applications, such as forbearance and deferment, should continue as normal." If you don't know which company is managing your student loans on behalf of the Education Department, you can find out at Studentaid.gov.
