Private Student Loan Help

You Have More Options Than You Think

If you are behind on your private student loan payments or can no longer afford them, you have more options than most people realize — even though private loans have far fewer government protections than federal loans.

Most borrowers who call us have already tried everything they could think of. They've called their servicer and been told there's nothing they can do. They've looked into refinancing and been denied. They've spoken to debt settlement companies who promised results and delivered nothing. By the time they reach us, they're frustrated, stressed, and convinced they're out of options.

They're not. And neither are you.

Why Private Student Loans Are Different From Federal Loans

This distinction matters more than most borrowers realize. Federal student loans come with built-in government protections — income-driven repayment, forgiveness programs, deferment, forbearance, rehabilitation. Private loans have almost none of these. But private loans also come with protections that federal loans don't have:

• No wage garnishment without a court judgment — unlike federal loans, a private lender cannot touch your paycheck without first filing a lawsuit and winning. That takes time and costs them money — and gives you leverage.
• No tax refund seizure — the federal government can take your tax refund for federal loan defaults. Private lenders cannot.
• Statute of limitations — private student loan debt expires in most states between 3 and 10 years from last payment. Federal loans never expire.
• Chain of ownership requirements — when private loan debt is sold to a collection agency, the agency must be able to prove complete, documented legal ownership. Many cannot.

What Happens When You Fall Behind on Private Student Loans

Understanding the timeline helps you understand your options at each stage:

Why Debt Settlement Fails for Private Student Loans

Debt settlement is one of the most common "solutions" marketed to private student loan borrowers — and one of the least effective. Here's why:

• Private lenders rarely settle — unlike credit card companies, private student loan lenders including Navient, AES, Sallie Mae, MOHELA, and Firstmark generally refuse settlement offers. They have legal mechanisms to pursue the debt and they use them.
• Debt settlement companies take your money first — they collect monthly fees and hold your payments in escrow while doing nothing. Months or years pass, interest and fees accumulate, and you're worse off than when you started.
• Debt settlement destroys your credit — the process requires you to stop paying, which tanks your credit score before any settlement is even attempted.
• There is no guarantee — debt settlement companies cannot guarantee results, yet charge significant fees regardless of outcome.

Debt validation — what PSLA Center does — is fundamentally different. We don't negotiate payment. We challenge the legal right to collect.

How PSLA Center's Debt Validation Program Works

We pioneered the debt validation program specifically for private student loans in 2012. No other organization had applied this process to private student loan debt before we developed it. In over 13 years we have refined it into the most effective private student loan relief program available — with a 99% success rate to prove it.

The specifics of how the program works for your situation depend on your loan, your lender, your state, and the current status of your debt. That is exactly why the first step is a free consultation — so we can review your specific situation and tell you honestly what your options are and what to expect.

What we can tell you is this: the program is legal, it is based on federal consumer protection law, and it works. Call us at (858) 799-0381 and find out if you qualify.

Private Lenders We Have Experience With

We have successfully helped borrowers with loans from every major private student loan lender and servicer, including:

Not sure if your servicer qualifies? Call us — we can tell you within minutes whether your loan is eligible.

Frequently Asked Questions