What was a Federal Family Education Loan Program or FFELP? 

Federal Family Education Loan Program is a program for student loans. These loans are issued by private and state lenders and guaranteed by the federal government. This program ended in 2010, then after many borrowers still concern with the FFEL program.

The latest data regarding this program is that 11 million people had outstanding Loans, with more than $245 billion.

What is the FFEL Program?

The U.S. government introduced this FFEL program to promote the Higher Education Act of 1965. The condition is that private lenders issue federal loans guaranteed by the federal government.

Two kinds of FEEL Program loans are available. 

1. Commercially Owned,
2. Education Department Owned.

FFELP loans promoting for undergraduate students, graduate students, and parents below category.

1. Stafford – Stafford loans for undergraduate and graduate students. Also, those students whose financial needs could receive subsidized loans.
2. Unsubsidized Stafford – This kind of loan not offering to an interest subsidy for undergraduate and graduate student borrowers.
3. Plus – This loan program is mainly for those parents who borrow for their children’s undergraduate students.
4. Consolidation – This program allowed borrowers one loan from multiple federal student loans.

How to check if I have FFELP loans?

Many students grabbed the opportunities for their studies, and many still have outstanding loans because they may defer payment or choose repayment plans.

You can check from the National Student Loan data system to know whether your loan is straightforward or not.

If you don’t have your I.D., you can contact your loan servicer for more details.

Four-way you can adopt FFELP Loan Relief Options

After the pandemic in March 2020, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed for relief to students who enrolled FFEL program. Provide relief from interest and reduce to 0% by Education Department only, but not by commercially owned.

Again in March 2021, the government expanded the CARES Act for those students who default. So, only the defaulter is beneficial for payment suspension or interest waiver.

Here are four ways for loan relief Options.

1. Enroll in the Alternative Payment plan.

If you are paying loans more than you can afford, you are eligible to follow payment terms.

• Graduated – In this payment plan, you have a ten years term, and with the condition, your payment is initially low, but every two years will increase.
• Extended – In this payment plan, you have 25 years for repayment terms. If you already adopt a graduated strategy, then every two years will increase.
• Income Sensitive Repayment – In this repayment plan, your monthly payments will be based on your income. It means as your income changes, your plan also changes.

2. Consolidate Your Loans

In this second option, your loan is a direct consolidation option with direct consolidation loans—also part of the direct loan program and all eligible for the CARES Act relief.

Adopting this program allows your FFELP loans to direct loan programs. Once consolidation is done, you can take advantage of the interest waiver and payment suspension.

This is only eligible till CARES act continues. After the old payment method continues, you can also use other loan benefits.

3. Deferment

This method is eligible when you are not eligible for the CARES Act. In this method, you can postpone your payment. This method is different from the servicer.

4. Refinance your FFELP loans

Suppose you want to finish your current FFELP loan quickly, then you can choose student loan refinancing. If you are paying a regular loan EMI and have a higher credit score, you can get a lower interest rate, and your EMI payment will be down.

One big drawback of this loan is if you choose this option, then your loan is not considered under federal loans, and you are no longer eligible for federal deferment.

For this method, you have to compare with multiple student loan refinancing lenders to get the lower rate deal.

FAQs about FFEL Program Loans

FFELP loans are private or federal?

Ans. Most lenders are private for FFELP loans, while the U.S. Department of Education holds others. To know who your FFELP loan lender is, log in to the Federal Student Aid website using your FSA ID. 

Note – if you don’t have an I.D., contact your servicer.

Can I change the repayment option of FFELP loans?

Ans. If you are eligible, you can apply for a different method; you have to refer to four other ways.

To consolidate FFEL loans, how much time take?

Ans. If you apply for consolidated FFEL loans, it takes approximately 30 to 45 days, and benefits for processing them at no extra cost that is beneficial for the students.