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If you've been financially impacted by COVID-19, your private student loan lender may help by offering forbearance, allowing payment modifications, or waiving late fees.

We've listed 25 lenders that are helping borrowers with private student loan payments, including LendKey, Navient, Sallie Mae, and SoFi.

If your lender isn't on this list, contact the company to ask whether they're offering payment assistance.

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Since this article was first published, federal student loan forbearance has been extended to December 31, 2020.

Borrowers around America are probably stoked their federal student loan payments have been paused until September 30. What are you supposed to do if you have private student loans, though?

The CARES Act's rules for federal loans don't apply to private loans, and each private student loan lender has its own policies regarding payment assistance during this time.

Find out how your lender can help. If your lender isn't on this list, reach out to ask whether it's offering help for people affected by the coronavirus.

25 private student loan lenders that may help you with payments during the COVID-19 outbreak

Access Group

Access Group is handling payment assistance on a case-by-case basis. You can contact Firstmark (Access Group's servicer) to discuss forbearance options.

Learn more about Acces Group's response to COVID-19 here.

Advantage Education Loan

If you've been financially impacted by the coronavirus, Advantage Education Loan will offer disaster forbearance for up to 90 days. Call 1 (800) 693-8220 to set up forbearance.

Learn more about Advantage Education Loan's response to COVID-19 here.

Ascent Student Loans

Ascent is offering a new Natural Disaster/Declared Emergency Forbearance program for those who have been impacted by the coronavirus. You can apply for forbearance for up to three months by contacting Ascent's student loan servicer, Launch Servicing.

Unlike Ascent's other forbearance programs, the Natural Disaster/Declared Emergency Forbearance program doesn't count toward your 24-month forbearance limit.

Learn more about Ascent's response to COVID-19.

Brazos Higher Education

Brazos Higher Education is offering disaster forbearance for up to 12 months in three-month increments. Interest will continue to build during this time. You can call your servicer to set up the forbearance verbally.

Learn more about Brazos' response to COVID-19 here.

Citizens Bank

You can apply for payment assistance through Citizens Bank for up to 90 days. You will not pay late fees, and the bank will not report late or missed payments to credit bureau agencies.

Learn more about Citizens Bank's response to COVID-19 here.

College Ave

You may qualify for disaster forbearance through College Ave for up to three consecutive months, but interest will continue to accrue. If you're already enrolled in auto pay, you will keep receiving the auto pay interest rate discount even while payments are paused.

To enroll in disaster forbearance, send an email to servicing@collegeave.zendesk.com. College Ave is aiming to respond to these emails within five business days.

Learn more about College Ave's response to COVID-19 here.

CommonBond

You can apply for natural disaster forbearance through CommonBond, and it will not count toward your 24-month forbearance limit.

Your student loan forbearance will last as long as the coronavirus is declared a national emergency. Interest will keep accruing, but CommonBond will waive late fees.

Learn more about CommonBond's response to COVID-19 here.

Discover

Discover is offering payment assistance for private student loans, but the company has not published details. Call 1 (800) STUDENT to speak with a representative.

Learn more about Discover's response to COVID-19 here.

Earnest

You can apply for disaster forbearance through Earnest for up to three months, but interest will continue to accrue. You can expect to hear back within 10 business days after you submit your request.

Learn more about Earnest's response to COVID-19 here.

Education Loan Finance

Education Loan Finance is offering student loan payment assistance on a case-by-case basis. You can call 1 (844) 601-ELFI or email answers@ELFI.com to discuss your situation.

Learn more about Education Loan Finance's response to COVID-19 here.

First Tech Federal Credit Union

First Tech is providing payment assistance on a case-by-case basis. You can submit a loan modification request online and check "other" when selecting which type of loan you're referring to.

Learn more about Education Loan Finance's response to COVID-19 here.

HESAA

HESAA has split payment assistance programs into three categories:

If you've contracted the coronavirus, apply for temporary total disability assistance

If you've lost your job, apply for unemployment assistance

If you've faced financial difficulties due to the coronavirus in some other way, apply for financial hardship assistance

Learn more about HESAA's response to COVID-19 here.

iHelp

iHelp is providing national emergency forbearance if you have not already defaulted on your student loans. Contact your iHelp representative to discuss your financial situation.

Learn more about iHelp's response to COVID-19 here.

Laurel Road

You may qualify for a payment extension or forbearance through Laurel Road. You can call MOHELA (Laurel Road's servicer) at 1 (877) 292-6845 to discuss payment options.

Learn more about Laurel Road's response to COVID-19 here.

LendKey

Lendkey is handling payment assistance on a case-by-case basis. Contact the team by emailing care@lendkey.com.

Learn more about LendKey's response to COVID-19 here.

MEFA

MEFA is offering payment assistance but does not provide details on its website. You can call MEFA's servicer, AES, at 1 (800) 233-0557 to discuss your financial situation.

Learn more about MEFA's response to COVID-19 here.

Navient

If you have private student loans through Navient, you can request disaster forbearance for up to three months. Remember that interest will continue to accrue during the forbearance period.

You may apply for Navient's Rate Reduction Program, which decreases your interest rate and monthly payment. Or you can ask Navient about its Interest Only Program or Extended Repayment Program.

Learn more about Navient's response to COVID-19 here.

Navy Federal Credit Union

Navy Federal Credit Union is offering forbearance for up to three months, although interest will continue to accrue. Discuss your situation with a representative by calling 1 (877) 304-9302.

Learn more about Navy Federal Credit Union's response to COVID-19 here.

PNC

You may be able to postpone or modify your payments through PNC. You can visit the American Education Services page to sign up.

Learn more about PNC's response to COVID-19 here.

Prodigy Finance

You can apply for forbearance for up to three months through Prodigy Finance, but interest will continue to accrue. If you were on time or ahead of schedule with your payments before applying for forbearance due to the coronavirus, Prodigy will keep reporting your payments as on time to credit bureaus.

You can contact Prodigy about forbearance by sending an email to payments@prodigyfinance.com.

Learn more about Prodigy's response to COVID-19 here.

RISLA

RISLA hasn't published details about payment assistance, but you can contact a representative at 1 (888) 758-7562 to discuss your options.

Learn more about RISLA's response to COVID-19 here.

Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae is offering payment assistance for those affected by the coronavirus. You can speak to an agent about your options via online chat.

Learn more about RISLA's response to COVID-19 here.

SoFi

SoFi encourages you to apply for deferral if you can't make your next payment. If you continue to face financial hardship, the company will work with you to continue assistance. Remember that interest will continue to accrue and the term of your loan will lengthen.

Learn more about SoFi's response to COVID-19 here.

Truist (previously SunTrust)

You may be able to pause student loan payments for up to 90 days through Truist. If you previously took out a loan through SunTrust, you can request payment assistance here.

Learn more about Truist's response to COVID-19 here.

Wells Fargo

You may qualify for a 90-day deferral through Wells Fargo if you have been impacted by the coronavirus. Bank representatives are available to discuss other assistance options, including longer-term deferrals.

Wells Fargo isn't charging late fees during this time, and the bank will not report missed or late payments to credit bureau agencies.

Learn more about Wells Fargo's response to COVID-19 here.

This piece is being updated as we learn more about lenders' relief policies.