If you got something in the mail from a company called Great Lakes and you don’t recognize the name, you may be wondering if it’s legit. And that’s a reasonable thing to wonder. Chances are, if you have student loans, you get a lot of shady offers in the mail.
But don't throw out that Great Lakes envelope right away. Why? Great Lakes is, indeed, a legit company. In fact, they might even be your student loan servicer.
Great Lakes is a loan servicer and one of the largest guarantors and providers of student loans in the US, with over 10 million borrowers. The company was acquired by NelNet in 2018, but it still operates under the Great Lakes name.
Loan servicers act as intermediaries between borrowers and lenders; the lender wrote the check for your loan, the servicer administers your account. Things they do include:
When your federal loan was issued, you were assigned a loan servicer to handle your loan. It’s not unusual for people to be unsure who their loan servicer is — even if they have thousands of dollars in student loans.
If you’re not sure who your loan servicer is, try the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). You can get information about all your federal loans through this site. You can also find out who your loan servicer by visiting My Federal Student Aid and logging in.
You’ll need some information to track down your loans on these sites, including identification info and your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID number.
See also: Student Loan Servicers: Who They Are and Where to Find Them
You can get in touch with Great Lakes in a number of ways:
The company website states that the fastest way to get a response is to call them.
Now, about those other shady mailings you get on the regular.
Some companies will do anything to get your money—including offering to do things for you that you could do on your own (such as signing up for income-driven repayment) or making outlandish promises to get rid of your student loan debt if you’ll pay them a fee.
If you’re not sure whether a mailing you’ve received is a scam, here are some questions to ask.
If Great Lakes is your loan servicer, you can find out quickly by searching My Federal Student Aid or the NSLDS database, or giving them a call. Knowing your loan servicer will help you know which pieces of mail to open—and which ones to trash.
Special offers for medical resident and fellow refinance products
Splash Financial is a leader in student loan refinancing with new rates as low as 2.63% fixed APR which can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loans. No application or origination fees and no prepayment penalties. Splash Financial is in all 50 states and is intensely focused on customer service. Splash Financial is also one of the few companies that offers a great medical resident and fellow refinance product. You can check your rate with Splash in just minutes.
Click here to see more of Splash's offerings and to see how you can save money.
Ability to apply for cosigner release after 24 consecutive payments.
Give Your Life’s Journey a Jump-Start.
If you’re ready to put student loans in your rearview mirror, Nelnet Bank student loan refinancing offers low rates and flexible terms to help you start getting ahead.
See How Much You Can Save: Estimate your savings with a student loan refinance from Nelnet Bank.
For every loan they fund, they contribute to the education of a child in need
CommonBond was founded in 2011 by three MBA graduates from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School who wanted to help their peers escape from high-interest student loan debt. Its original focus was on grad students, but it has since expanded to cover undergrads as well.
Of all the companies we reviewed, CommonBond has some of the best customer service. The company prides itself on being easy to reach by email, phone, or live chat. It offers networking events, expert panels, insider newsletters, and even has a program help borrowers who lose their jobs to find new ones. CommonBond also makes you feel good about choosing to refinance with them by donating money to an education nonprofit for each loan they write.
Get a personalized review of your refinancing options with CommonBond today.
16 different loan term options – more flexibility to pay down your loan faster
College Ave Student Loans offers major help and minor stress. We’ll help guide you through the process to find the right loan term and interest rate for you and the family budget.
Click here to see more College Ave offerings and to start saving today!
Best for borrowers who want to customize their repayment schedule to pay off debt fast.
Using technology, data, and design to build affordable products, Earnest's lending products are built for a new generation seeking to reach life's milestones. The company understands every applicant's unique financial story to offer the lowest possible rates and radically flexible loan options for living life.
Click here to apply with Earnest and to see how much you can save.
SoFi is the leading student loan refinancing provider.
$30 billion+ in refinanced student loans. SoFi has some of the lowest interest rates and, unlike the other lenders we reviewed, there's no maximum on the amount you can finance. Some state restrictions may apply.
Save thousands on your student loans and pay off your loans sooner. Find your rate.
Works with 300+ community lenders for higher approval chances
Connecting student borrowers to a network of over 300 community lenders with low interest rates. By partnering with these lenders, LendKey is able to give consumers direct access to the best rates available from the most borrower friendly institutions. As the servicer of all loans obtained through its platform, you can rest easy knowing your personal information will be safe and that the best customer service team will be ready to answer your questions from application until your final payment.
Operates in all 50 states; 2nd largest student loan refinancing lender
Laurel Road is a national online lender with customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Many of our non-bank competitors are not able to lend in all 50 states.Laurel Road has grown to be the second largest player in the student loan refinancing space in large part because of our reputation as the go-to low rate provider.
Get your personalized, pre-approved rates in less than 5 minutes.
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