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Nelnet Customer Service: What It Can Do and How to Contact
Nelnet is a federal student loan servicer that manages loans and borrower payments.
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NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.
Anna Helhoski is a senior writer covering economic news and trends in consumer finance at NerdWallet. She is an on-air contributor and producer of Money News segments for NerdWallet's Smart Money podcast. She is also an authority on student loans. She joined NerdWallet in 2014. Her work has been syndicated in news outlets nationwide including The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. She previously covered local news in the New York metro area for the Daily Voice and New York state politics for The Legislative Gazette. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Purchase College, State University of New York.
Laura McMullen assigns and edits content related to personal loans and student loans. She previously edited money news content. Before then, Laura was a senior writer at NerdWallet and covered saving, making and budgeting money; she also contributed to the "Millennial Money" column for The Associated Press. Before joining NerdWallet in 2015, Laura worked for U.S. News & World Report, where she wrote and edited content related to careers, wellness and education and also contributed to the company's rankings projects. Before working at U.S. News & World Report, Laura interned at Vice Media and studied journalism, history and Arabic at Ohio University. Laura lives in Washington, D.C.
Lisa Mulka is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance content. With more than 15 years of writing experience, Lisa most recently authored a book on personal financial literacy and served as lead writer on the FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People program. She holds a bachelor’s in creative writing, and master’s degrees in written communication and in educational technology. Lisa lives with her husband and two children in Michigan, where she spends her free time teaching the next generation of writers at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.
Contributing Writer
Nelnet is one of several companies that service federal student loans by collecting and tracking payments. It also provides private student loans and refinancing.
If Nelnet is your student loan servicer, here’s what it can help you do.
How do I know if Nelnet is my loan servicer?
Your loan servicer is assigned by the U.S. Department of Education when your loan is disbursed to your college for the first time. The name of the company sending you a federal loan bill every month is your servicer.
If your loan payments haven’t begun or you’re not sure which company is your servicer, log in to My Federal Student Aid to find out. You can also get in touch with any of the loan servicer contact centers by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.
Servicers are there to help you, but they may offer choices that are best for the company, not the borrower. That means they can’t change how payments are processed and may not suggest the most beneficial repayment option for you.
Register for online access to your account. Once you have access, you can contact Nelnet, see your monthly billing statements and pay bills.
Enroll in autopay. Nelnet can deduct your payments automatically from your bank account. Signing up for autopay will reduce your interest by 0.25 percentage point.
Sign up for income-driven repayment. You can request income-driven repayment, which limits your student loan payments to a percentage of your income, by completing a paper form with Nelnet.
(Alternatively, you can apply online on studentaid.gov and then re-certify your income each year online.)
Process deferment and forbearance requests. Nelnet can help you temporarily stop making payments or reduce your payment amount if you qualify.
This helps you stay in good standing to avoid default. But during any periods of deferment or forbearance, interest can continue to build.
Process monthly payments and extra payments. Nelnet will track and collect your payments.
If you want to make additional payments, you can instruct Nelnet (online, by phone or by mail) to apply extra payments to your current balance. Otherwise, it may apply the additional amount to next month’s payment instead.
NerdWallet editorial ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Fixed APR
4.99-9.99%
Actual rate will vary based on your financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 5.24% APR to 10.24% (4.99% - 9.99% .25% auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 6.13% to 10.24% (5.88% - 9.99% .25% auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and require selection of our shortest term offered (5 years) and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
Variable APR
5.88-9.99%
Actual rate will vary based on your financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 5.24% APR to 10.24% (4.99% - 9.99% .25% auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 6.13% to 10.24% (5.88% - 9.99% .25% auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and require selection of our shortest term offered (5 years) and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
NerdWallet editorial ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Nelnet hours of operation: Monday: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET; Tuesday through Friday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET.
Nelnet address for general correspondence:
Nelnet
P.O. Box 82561
Lincoln, NE 68501-2561
Nelnet website: nelnet.com/welcome
Nelnet email: You must log into your account to send an email
Is Nelnet my servicer until my loans are paid off?
Loans are sometimes transferred from one servicer to another by the Department of Education. But you'll likely remain with Nelnet unless you act to switch servicers.
Upcoming changes among servicers
The Department of Education is planning to shift the student loan servicing landscape through the Unified Servicing and Data Solution initiative. Phase 1 was launched in 2024.
Over a five-year period, a repayment portal at studentaid.gov will be created, and individual loan servicers’ websites will be decommissioned.
While it is unclear whether this means your loan servicer will change, there is always a possibility that your loan could be transferred during this update.
Prior to servicing contracts ending, borrowers should do the following:
Download and save your payment history from your online account or request a copy from your servicer.
Update your contact information with your most recent address, phone number and email address.
You’ll be notified when a loan servicing transfer happens, and you’ll manage payments with the new servicer. All servicers deliver the same options and programs, but customer service may differ from one to another.
Frequently asked questions
How can I complain about Nelnet?
If you’re having difficulty with Nelnet that you have been unable to resolve, start by filing a complaint directly with its ombudsman. It’s the servicer’s highest customer service office.
Call: 888-486-4722 or log in to your account to send an email.
Mail:
Nelnet Guarantor Solutions
P.O. Box 82561
Lincoln, NE 68501-2561
If your issue goes unresolved, you can also make complaints about Nelnet to:
Make sure to keep records of conversations you have, including the day, time and customer service representative you spoke with. Keep copies of any letters, bills or emails about your account.
How can I settle a dispute with Nelnet?
If a complaint doesn’t help, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group. This method should be used only as a last resort, says the federal student aid office. When you’re ready to reach out, here’s how to get in touch:
If you’re having difficulty with Nelnet that you have been unable to resolve, start by filing a complaint directly with its ombudsman. It’s the servicer’s highest customer service office.
Call:
888-486-4722 or log in to your account to send an email.
Mail:
Nelnet Guarantor Solutions
P.O. Box 82561
Lincoln, NE 68501-2561
If your issue goes unresolved, you can also make complaints about Nelnet to:
Make sure to keep records of conversations you have, including the day, time and customer service representative you spoke with. Keep copies of any letters, bills or emails about your account.
How can I settle a dispute with Nelnet?
If a complaint doesn’t help, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group. This method should be used only as a last resort, says the federal student aid office. When you’re ready to reach out, here’s how to get in touch:
Call:
800-433-3243
Mail:
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Federal Student Aid
P.O. Box 1854
Monticello, KY 42633
You can also reach out to a student loans nonprofit such as
