Frequently Asked Questions

Setting up your login information is fast, easy, and can be completed in a few simple steps. Click sign up at the top of any page to get started. Account access is available to anyone with a defaulted student loan guaranteed by Ascendium.

Once you've completed the signup process, you can log in anytime to view information about your defaulted loans.

Don't worry—it happens to all of us at one time or another. If you forgot your user ID, password, or PIN, or if you're receiving an error message, follow the steps on Trouble Accessing Your Account.

Ascendium is a guarantor of defaulted student loans. A student loan guarantor's primary mission is to manage the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) on behalf of the federal government. Duties range from enforcing federal student loan rules and regulations to counseling student loan borrowers who may be unable to make their payments. This guarantee allows lenders to be reimbursed for loans that may default. (Federal student loans default when borrowers do not make any payments on their loans for 270-360 days and do not make special arrangements with their lender or servicer to get a deferment, forbearance, or other form of payment relief.) When default occurs, the loan is transferred from the lender/servicer to the guarantor.

Fresh Start is a limited-time program from the Department of Education to get defaulted loan(s) back in good standing. Fresh start is only eligible to borrowers who defaulted on or before 3/12/2020.

Consolidation pays off your defaulted loan(s) with a new loan held by the Department of Education.

Student loan rehabilitation removes your loan from default after you have made nine on-time payments in 10 months. Monthly payments are based on your income and family size. You can rehabilitate a loan only once.

Paying off your defaulted loan(s) balance resolves the default.

There are a number of discharge options available, including Total and Permanent Disability Discharge. To learn more about the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge process, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, go to https://disabilitydischarge.com/.

For a list of discharge and forgiveness options, please go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation.

There are many free payment methods available, including one-time electronic payments (Pay Online), payments by phone, and check or money order payments by mail.

To make a payment in full, schedule a future payments, set up a recurring schedule or find out more about each payment method, log in to defaultloanhelp.com, if you haven't already.

Recurring payments can be modified or cancelled at the US Bank payment portal. From the Pay Online page, log on to the US Bank payment portal. Once logged in to the portal, select the 'My Account' tab, then choose 'Scheduled Payments'. You will see a table of all scheduled recurring payments; click 'stop' next to the ones you wish to cancel.

Don't wait to establish an affordable repayment option! You may qualify for a lower payment than you think. Log in or contact us today to find information unique to your financial situation.