Applying for student loan forgiveness or a new repayment plan costs nothing on StudentAid.gov or through your loan servicer. Never pay a company to file for you, and walk away from anyone who charges upfront or monthly fees, promises fast forgiveness, or asks for your StudentAid.gov password.
In April 2026, the Federal Trade Commission got a court order to stop NERD Solutions and ED REF, which it says sold forgiveness that didn’t exist. According to its complaint, they cold-called borrowers, claimed ties to the Education Department or to borrowers’ own servicers, and charged upfront fees of up to $1,400 a month. By the FTC’s count, they took in at least $8.8 million.
The Repayment Assistance Plan launched on July 1, 2026, and borrowers on the SAVE plan are being moved to other plans. If you’re unsure which plan fits, you’re exactly who these companies call.
Paying them buys nothing you can’t get yourself. You can submit an income-driven repayment request, a Public Service Loan Forgiveness form, or a Direct Consolidation Loan application yourself, at no charge. The Education Department says its “loan forgiveness programs are always free.” Most of those programs also take years of qualifying payments or work, so a promise of quick forgiveness is the giveaway.
Log in at StudentAid.gov to apply, or call the loan servicer listed on your account dashboard for help choosing a plan.
Other signs give a company away:
- Pressure to sign up today because spots are first come, first served
- Government seals and logos on an email, text, or call from an unofficial address or number
- A request for a power of attorney or third-party authorization to handle your loans
- An offer to collect your payment and pass it to your servicer
Asking for your StudentAid.gov username and password settles it. The Education Department and its servicers never ask for them, so anyone who does isn’t there to help.
If you already signed up, call your servicer to check for changes to your loans and revoke any authorization on file for the company. Then have your bank or card issuer stop the payments, and change your StudentAid.gov password if the company ever had it. Report the company to the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, the FTC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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