What to do if I can't pay my Discover student loans?

Asked by: Ceasar Huels  |  Last update: September 16, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (31 votes)

It's in your best interest to take every step possible to avoid missing payments.
  1. Contact your student loan servicer. ...
  2. Look into federal student loan forgiveness. ...
  3. See if your employer will reimburse you for student loan payments. ...
  4. Reduce your expenses. ...
  5. Increase your income. ...
  6. Change your repayment plan.

What happens if I don't pay my Discover student loans?

The longer the missed payment is past due, the more it can hurt your score. The Federal Student Aid website states that if you miss a payment your loan is considered delinquent. After 90 days your loan servicer may report it to the three major credit bureaus.

Can Discover student loans be forgiven?

No, private loans have no forgiveness option. And it's highly unlikely discover would ever reduce what's owed, they have no reason or incentive to do so.

What can I do if I can't afford my student loan payment?

If you have federal loans, look into programs that will adjust your monthly payment based on your income and family size. Just remember that as your income increases, so will your monthly payment. Consider deferment or forbearance. These are options that can temporarily reduce or postpone your monthly payments.

What will happen to my Discover student loan?

Discover is no longer servicing student loans. The servicing of your Discover student loan(s) has transferred to Firstmark Services.

Can't Pay Off your Student Loans? Here's What to Do.

40 related questions found

How to get rid of Discover student loans?

There is no way to refinance or consolidate your Discover student loans with the federal government to qualify for loan forgiveness — even if your loans were once federal, but you refinanced with a private lender.

Why is Discover discontinuing student loans?

Why is Discover exiting the student loan business? Discover is transferring the Discover Student Loans portfolio and the servicing of their loans to a third-party provider to focus their efforts on other key business objectives.

What happens if you just refuse to pay your student loans?

If you don't make your student loan payment or you make your payment late, your loan may eventually go into default. If you default on your student loan, that status will be reported to national credit reporting agencies. This reporting may damage your credit rating and future borrowing ability.

How do you pay off student loans when you are broke?

How to Pay Off Your Student Loans Fast
  1. Pay more than the minimum payment.
  2. Get on a budget.
  3. Cut back your spending.
  4. Increase your income.
  5. Refinance your loans (only if it makes sense).
  6. Avoid income-driven repayment plans (IDRs).
  7. Don't bank on student loan forgiveness.
  8. Make paying off your student loans a priority.

Who do you contact if you Cannot pay your student loans?

Apply for a Fixed Payment Repayment Plan

To apply for one of these plans, contact your loan servicer. Not sure who your servicer is? Log in to view your servicer's info.

Can I pause my Discover student loans?

You may be able to postpone your private student loan payments through deferment. During a deferment period, interest will continue to accrue on your loan, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

Can you get student loans wiped out?

If you work full time for a government or nonprofit organization, you may qualify for forgiveness of the entire remaining balance of your Direct Loans after you've made 120 qualifying payments—i.e., at least 10 years of payments. To benefit from PSLF, you need to repay your federal student loans under an IDR plan.

Is Discover student loans private or federal?

Company Overview. Discover Bank is no longer accepting student loan applications. It had offered private student loans to students attending more than 2,400 colleges and universities.

What happens if I don't pay Discover?

A missed payment can result in late fees and increased interest rates, which cost you more money overall. A missed or late payment typically shows up on your credit report and may impact your credit score.

Why is Discover selling student loans?

The student loan business has been a source of regulatory woes for Discover in recent years: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order in 2015 alleging the company misstated minimum amounts due on billing statements for student loans, misstated tax information required for certain tax benefits and ...

What if I don't make enough to pay student loans?

Most federal student loans are eligible for at least one income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, including the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. If your income is low enough, your payment could be as low as $0 per month. Already on an IDR plan? Consider recertifying (updating) your income.

How to aggressively pay off student loans?

Here are eight more ways to pay off student loans fast.
  1. Organize your student loan debt and make a repayment plan. ...
  2. Pay more than the minimum due. ...
  3. Make additional payments. ...
  4. Apply for loan forgiveness. ...
  5. Take advantage of interest rate discounts. ...
  6. Leverage tax deductions and credits. ...
  7. Make biweekly payments.

Can I pay $5 a month on student loans?

There is a $5 minimum monthly payment. Income Contingent Repayment is available only for Direct Loan borrowers. Income-Sensitive Repayment. As an alternative to income contingent repayment, FFELP lenders offer borrowers income-sensitive repayment, which pegs the monthly payments to a percentage of gross monthly income.

What are two ways to postpone repayment of a student loan?

Both deferment and forbearance allow you to temporarily postpone or reduce your federal student loan payments. The difference has to do with interest accrual (accumulation).

How do people avoid paying student loans?

In addition to income-driven repayment plan forgiveness, here are a few federal programs for which you may qualify:
  1. Public Service Loan Forgiveness. ...
  2. Teacher Loan Forgiveness. ...
  3. Total and Permanent Disability Discharge. ...
  4. Closed School Discharge. ...
  5. Borrower Defense to Repayment.

Can they take your house if you default on student loans?

When you fall behind on payments, there's no property for the lender to take. The bank has to sue you and get an order from a judge before taking any of your property. Student loans are unsecured loans. As a result, student loans can't take your house if you make your payments on time.

Do student loans fall off after 7 years?

Student loans don't go away after seven years. There is no program for loan forgiveness or cancellation after seven years. But if you recently checked your credit report and wondered, “why did my student loans disappear?” The answer is that you have defaulted student loans.

Are Discover student loans going to be forgiven?

Unfortunately, private student loan borrowers don't have access to the same benefits and repayment plan options that federal student loan borrowers have. Sallie Mae loans, Discover loans and other private student loans can't be forgiven.

What is the lawsuit against Discover student loans?

Discover Bank to Pay $18.5 M for Illegal Student Loan Servicing Practices. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) “Discover created student debt stress for borrowers by inflating their bills and misleading them about important benefits,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray.

Who is taking over Discover student loans?

Carlyle and KKR Strategic Partnerships Agree to Acquire Approximately $10.1 Billion Prime Student Loan Portfolio from Discover Financial Services | Carlyle.