Check these items off your student loan to-do list

By Adebukola Dada – MAY 10, 2019

If you have student loans, now is the time to check to make sure you are on track to successful repayment. Below is a list of things you should do every year to make sure you stay on top of your student loans.

1. Check your deadline to recertify your student loans to remain eligible for your Income-Driven Repayment Plan.

Most federal loans are eligible for an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan . If you’re enrolled in an IDR plan you need to recertify every year. To re-certify you need to provide updated information about your income and family size.

Your student loan servicer should send you a reminder to recertify your student loans. Once you are contacted by your servicer, set a recurring calendar reminder to recertify annually. Failing to recertify your loan each year can have negative consequences. Learn more about recertifying your loans.

2. Certify (or recertify) your employment to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

If you work in certain public service jobs and have student loan debt, you should consider enrolling in PSLF. Complete the Employment Certification Form every year to remain in the program and to help keep track of your qualifying payments toward loan forgiveness. To learn more about the PSLF program and enrollment instructions review this Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program information.

Tip: Send a calendar invite to yourself with the link to Employment Certification form in the body of the invite and set it as a recurring annual event.

3. Review your credit reports to make sure the information on your credit report is correct, including your student loans.

Your credit reports can impact your ability to get new lines of credit, the loan terms you’re offered and even whether you get a certain job. You should check your credit reports at least once a year. You can get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting companies at AnnualCreditReport.com , and in certain other circumstances. Check your credit report for common errors that may cost be costing you money or hurting your credit report.

Tip: Add a reminder to your calendar to request one credit report every four months, spreading your three free reports over the year so that you can review your information throughout the year.

Staying on top of your finances and keeping up with your student loans is important. Remember to read all communications from your student loan servicer. If you’re struggling to repay student debt or want to learn more about how to stay on the road to repayment, check out our Repay Student Debt tool.