Student Loan Servicing

Things to Know about OSLA

Welcome to OSLA
Servicing student loans is not a new venture for us. We have been servicing loans for 40 years! We know loan servicing and pledge to provide our customers with accurate information and courteous assistance in order to help them successfully manage repaying their student loans.

Commitment to New Customers
OSLA's long-term goal is to continue to provide exceptional customer service for borrowers who have received student loans owned by the U.S Department of Education. OSLA has devoted considerable time, energy and resources to become a federal contractor with the knowledge that our loan servicing product is exceptional and we will provide that service to our new Direct Loan customers.

Exceptional Customer Service
From January 2006 through October 2007, OSLA was recognized as an Exceptional Performer by the U.S. Department of Education by meeting and exceeding the standards established for participants in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program by the Department. Electronically or over the phone, you choose what’s best for you! OSLA is available to customers via the web at www.OSLA.org, by email, by mail, toll free phone, and onsite meetings. Borrowers may review account information, make payments and learn about deferments, forbearances, and payment plan options from our web site. Additionally, a borrower may call our customer service department and ask questions about repayment in order to make the best decisions about managing their student loans.

High customer satisfaction is the single most important strength of OSLA. Our borrowers have been surveyed randomly for many years. Positive responses are given by our customers on a regular basis. OSLA staff is consistently rated by customers in the 90 percentile with good or excellent customer satisfaction ratings. learn more

Things to Know about Managing your Account

This information is for borrowers with loans transferred from the U.S. Department of Education to the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority (OSLA) beginning July, 2012, and your account number is an Alpha/Numeric beginning with F or 8 - (Example: F800112200). The top six things that you should know are as follows:

6) It is likely that your account number has changed. Your new account number appears on the Welcome Letter that was sent to you, and it will also be on your monthly, billing statement. This new account number is an alpha/numeric number beginning with the letter F (Example: F800112233). Please use your new account number for correspondence and payments.

5) Online access is AWESOME! Set up an online account in order to manage your account quickly, easily and securely – 24/7. You will be able to set up payments, view account information and much more. Please register and log in to Manage My Account. You will need to register as a new customer for OSLA’s Manage My Account. It is different than the one you accessed with your previous servicer.

4) If you made a payment immediately prior to your loan being transferred to OSLA, it is possible that the payment was posted to your account by your previous servicer. If not, any payments that were not posted prior to the transfer will be forwarded to OSLA. Please note, allow at least 60-90 days for your account to reflect the transferred payment.

3) If your account was in deferment or forbearance prior to your loan being transferred to OSLA, we will receive that information in the transfer. So, there should be no change to the status of your loan, and the deferment or forbearance should end in the same timeframe as you were previously notified. If your account was in an Income Based Repayment (IBR), Income Contingent Repayment (ICR), or Pay As You Earn (PAYE) repayment plan, with your prior servicer, and the monthly payment with OSLA is higher than you were paying, please contact OSLA’s Customer Service. It is possible that it is time to recertify your eligibility for this repayment plan which must be done every 12 months.

2) If you sent correspondence to your previous servicer and it was not processed prior to the transfer, it will be forwarded to OSLA for handling.

And the #1 thing to know about the transfer………

OSLA is happy to assist you, and we are committed to providing
EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE for you!!!

DL Links

Direct Loan General Student Loan Information and Money Management

U.S. Department of Education
Federal Student Aid - U.S. Department of Education
Federal Student Aid Collections

DL Glossary

It is important that you understand the financial aid process and the terms of your student loan. Following are some important terms:

Accrued Interest: Interest that accumulates on unpaid Unsubsidized Stafford loan balances while the borrower is in school. Interest accrues on subsidized and unsubsidized portions of a Consolidation Loan while the borrower is in school, grace, deferment, and regular repayment statuses. Interest accrues on subsidized and the subsidized portion of a Consolidation Loan during regular repayment status. Interest also accrues on PLUS loans while the dependant student is in school, during regular deferment, and regular repayment when the student is no longer in school.
Borrower Fees: Fees which the borrower has to pay to get a student loan. The federal government stipulates the amount of the fees to be withheld from loan disbursements.
Capitalized Interest: Addition of accrued (unpaid) interest to a loan balance which increases the total debt. Most Unsubsidized Stafford borrowers allow their unpaid interest to be added to their balance at repayment rather than paying it while in school.
Default: Failure to repay a loan according to the terms of a promissory note or from failure to submit requests for deferment or cancellation on time. If you default, the lender, servicer, guarantor or federal government will take legal action to recover the loan.
Deferment: A period when a borrower who meets certain criteria may suspend loan payments. On Subsidized Stafford Loans, the federal government pays the loan interest during deferments. Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, and Grad PLUS borrowers are responsible for the interest during deferment. Deferment is a tool available to borrowers to help avoid default. Interest is paid by the government on the subsidized portion of a Consolidation Loan. Borrowers are responsible for the interest during deferment on the unsubsidized portion of a Consolidation Loan.
Disbursement: The release of student loan funds to borrowers by the school. The Financial Aid Office determines the amount of the disbursment and the disbursement date. A student loan may have multiple disbursement dates.
Forbearance: A temporary suspension of student loan payments available to borrowers when they are having problems making their regular student loan payments. A forbearance may be used when a borrower is not otherwise eligible for a deferment and can help borrowers avoid defaulting on their loan. OSLA sets a limit to forbearance during repayment.
Grace Period: The six-month period after the Stafford Loan borrower is no longer enrolled on an at least a half-time basis and loan payments are not required. Repayment of Stafford loans begins after the grace period has expired. There is not a grace period for PLUS loans; repayment begins immediately after funds are fully disbursed.
Guarantor: An agency that insures student loans against default and helps the federal government administer the student loan program.
Loan Holder: The owner of the loan. The holder may not be the lender which originally made the loan.
Master Promissory Note (MPN): The binding legal document signed for a student loan. It lists the conditions under which monies are borrowed and the terms under which the loan is paid back. It also includes information about the loan interest rate as well as deferment and cancellation provisions.
Notice of Loan Guarantee and Disclosure: Notification from the lender acknowledging loan approval and listing the dates for loan disbursements, the loan interest rate, the amount of borrower fees and the net amount of the loan disbursement.