After a five year pause on Federal Student Loan collections, the U.S Department of Education resumed collections on May 5, 2025.

As of 2024, U.S. students currently owe $1.74 trillion in both federal and private student loans. That amount is ridiculously high, and students who owe money on their loans are scrambling to pay them off. Unfortunately, this creates a big opportunity for scammers to exploit students. 

If you are someone with student loans, you need to be aware of student loan forgiveness scams, now more than ever. These scams can come in different forms of delivery, with phone calls, text messages, and emails being the most common.  

Here are some tips to spot a student loan forgiveness scam.

1. Look Out For Aggressive Advertising Language

For example, if the message you received wants you to act immediately or if your account has been flagged for investigation, it most likely isn’t legitimate. The U.S. Department of Education says that while they might reach out to highlight temporary programs, they wouldn’t use aggressive advertising language.   

2. It Seems Too Good to Be True… So It Probably Is

Some scammers will ask for an up-front or monthly payment while promising immediate student loan cancelation. Most government forgiveness programs require years of qualifying payments and/or employment in a specific field to qualify for student loan forgiveness.  

3. You Are Asked For Your Login Information

The U.S. Department of Education has stated that they and their partners will never ask for this information.  

If you are unsure if the message you received is legitimate, check who sent it to you. Scammers can easily spoof messages to look like they are sent from an official source, but making sure is essential. Studentaid.gov has some helpful resources that include a list of email addresses and phone numbers that they use, as well as their trusted loan servicers.  

If you think you have been scammed, there are several options you can take. You can contact your federal loan servicer to ensure there was no unwanted activity on your loans. You can contact your financial institution to stop all payments to the company you think is scamming you. You can also submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.