Keeping accurate and complete records of your financial activities is extremely important in helping you manage your loans and achieve your financial goals. Financial documents that should be kept in a secure and accessible file include:
- Loan applications
- Promissory notes
- Disclosure statements
- Notices from your lenders/holders/servicers/loan providers
- Copies of all written communications (including email), and a log of telephone conversations
- Income tax returns (federal and state)
- Financial aid forms and award letters
This file will be invaluable to you while you are in school, and especially as you enter repayment. Be aware that some student loans are often sold by one lender to another, and you need to keep track of the holder of your loans at all times.
Visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) to view information about all of the federal student loans you have received and to find contact information for the loan servicer or lender for your loans. You will need your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID to access your information.
It is your responsibility to manage your loan payments, and to know the terms and amounts of your loans, as well as who are your lenders/holders/servicers. In addition, you are required by law to always keep them informed of your current contact information (name, address, telephone).