Is Navient a Federal or Private Student Loan?
Is Navient federal or private? See how to check your loan type, what it means for forgiveness or settlement, and where to manage your payments now.
If you still see Navient listed on your account, it’s not an active federal loan. Navient no longer services loans for the Department of Education. Those federal loans were transferred to MOHELA or AidvantageAidvantageA federal student loan servicer operated by Maximus that manages Direct Loan accounts on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, including many accounts previously serviced by Navient. in 2022.
Today, Navient only manages private student loans and defaulted federal loans that were pulled back for collection.
How to Tell if Your Navient Loan Is Federal or Private
To tell if your Navient student loan is federal or private, check StudentAid.gov.
- If your loan is listed there, it’s federal.
- If it’s not, it’s private.
Federal loans will show a loan type — like Direct Subsidized, Direct PLUS, or FFEL.
What to Do if Your Loan Is Federal
If your loan shows up on StudentAid.gov, it’s owned by the Department of Education. You’ll manage it through your new servicer — MOHELAMOHELAThe Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, a federal student loan servicer that currently handles accounts for borrowers in Public Service Loan Forgiveness and other federal loan portfolios. or Aidvantage — not Navient.
Here’s what to do next:
- Create or log in to your account with your current servicer.
- Enroll in an income-driven repaymentIncome-Driven Repayment (IDR)A category of federal student loan repayment plans that calculate monthly payments based on income and family size rather than loan balance. Any remaining balance can be forgiven after 20–25 years of qualifying payments. (IDR) plan to keep payments affordable.
- If you work in public service, submit a PSLFPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)A federal program that forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments made while working full-time for a government or qualifying nonprofit employer. form to start or continue forgiveness credit.
Related: Navient Loan Forgiveness: Who Qualifies Now
What to Do if Your Loan Is Private
If your loan isn’t listed on StudentAid.gov, it’s a private Navient loan. Private loans don’t qualify for federal forgiveness, but you still have leverage.
Your main options:
- Stay current — or consider refinancingRefinancingTaking out a new private loan to pay off one or more existing student loans, usually to lower the interest rate or change the repayment term. Refinancing federal loans into a private loan eliminates federal benefits like IDR and PSLF. if you have good credit and want a lower rate.
- If you’ve fallen behind, you can often negotiate a settlement for less than you owe.
- Check school-misconduct eligibility if you attended a for-profit program — some older private loans were forgiven through that route.
Related:
What to Do if Your Loan Is in DefaultDefaultThe status of a federal student loan after the borrower has failed to make required payments for 270 days. Default can trigger collection actions such as wage garnishment, tax refund offset, and damage to credit reports.
If Navient or a collection agency is contacting you, your loan is likely in default — federal or private.
You can:
- Rehabilitate or consolidate a federal loan to restore eligibility for forgiveness and new payment plans.
- Negotiate a settlement if it’s private or too old to enforce.
Related:
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