Federal student loan payments restart on the date your loan servicer sets, which depends on what type of pause ended
If you had a pause on your federal student loans — whether from the COVID-19 payment freeze, an income-driven repayment plan recertification, or a temporary forbearance — payments restart on a specific date your servicer communicates to you. That date is not the same for everyone, because different pauses end at different times and different servicers process the restart at different speeds.
The most recent federal pause ended on September 1, 2023. If you were in that pause, your servicer should have told you the exact restart date in writing. If you did not receive a letter, log into your servicer's website or call the number on your loan statement to confirm when your first payment is due.
Private student loans do not follow federal pause rules. If you have private loans, check your promissory note or contact your lender directly — they set their own pause and restart terms.
Key Takeaways
- Your servicer mails or emails the restart date before payments resume, so check your mail and email inbox for official notice.
- The restart date varies by servicer and by the reason for the pause, so do not assume your friend's restart date matches yours.
- If you miss a payment after the restart date, it counts as late even if you did not receive notice — so contact your servicer immediately if you did not get a letter.
- Income-driven repayment plans may restart at a different payment amount than before the pause if your income changed during the pause.
How to find your exact restart date
Log into your account on your loan servicer's website. The servicer name appears on your loan statement or on the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov. Once logged in, look for a section labeled "Loan Status," "Payment Information," or "Account Summary" — the exact name varies by servicer. Your next payment due date should appear there.
If you cannot find it online, call your servicer's customer service line. The number is on your loan statement. Have your Social Security number and loan account number ready. Ask for your restart date and your new payment amount if you are on an income-driven plan.
If you never received written notice of the restart date and your servicer's website does not show one, ask the representative to confirm whether your account is still in pause status or whether the pause has officially ended. Some accounts remained in pause longer than others due to processing delays.
What happens if you miss a payment after restart
A missed payment after the restart date will be reported to credit bureaus and marked as late on your credit report. Federal loans do not go into default immediately — they enter default after 270 days of non-payment — but the damage to your credit score begins after 30 days late.
If you realize you will miss a payment, contact your servicer before the due date. You can request a deferment, forbearance, or income-driven repayment plan adjustment, which may lower your payment or pause it temporarily. These options are not automatic, so you must ask.
If you already missed a payment, call your servicer right away. Payments made within 15 days of the due date may not be reported as late, depending on your servicer's policy. The sooner you pay, the better your chances of limiting credit damage.
Income-driven repayment plans and restart dates
If you are on an income-driven repayment plan — Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), or Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) — your payment amount may change when the pause ends. This happens because these plans base your payment on your current income, and your income may have changed during the pause.
Your servicer will send you a new payment amount before your restart date. If you did not recertify your income during the pause, your servicer may use your last certified income to calculate the new payment. If your income has dropped significantly, you can recertify early to lower your payment before the restart date.
To recertify, log into your servicer's website and look for "Recertify Income" or "Income Recertification." You will need recent tax documents or a statement from your employer. The process usually takes two to four weeks, so do it as soon as you know your restart date.
Restarting after a temporary forbearance or deferment
If your pause was a forbearance or deferment — not the federal COVID pause — the restart date depends on how long you requested. A forbearance typically lasts three to six months, and a deferment can last up to three years. Your servicer will tell you the end date when you request it.
Some forbearances and deferments allow you to resume payments early without penalty. If you want to restart before the official end date, contact your servicer to ask whether early payment is allowed and whether interest will continue to accrue during the remaining pause period.
What to do if your servicer transferred your loan
Loan servicers sometimes transfer accounts to other companies. If your servicer changed during the pause, your restart date may have shifted, and your new servicer's website may look completely different. This can cause confusion about when payments actually restart.
After a servicer transfer, log into your new servicer's website using your Social Security number and the loan account number from your old statement. If you cannot log in, call the new servicer's customer service line — the number should appear in a letter they sent you. Confirm your restart date and payment amount with the new servicer, because they may have different records than the old one.
Private student loans and restart dates
Private student loans are not covered by federal pause rules. If you have private loans, your lender sets its own pause and restart policy. Some private lenders offered pauses during the COVID period, but they were not required to, and the terms varied widely.
Check your promissory note or contact your lender directly to find out whether your private loans were in pause and when payments restart. Do not assume your private loan restart date matches your federal loan restart date — they are usually different.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I do not remember which servicer handles my loans?
Go to studentaid.gov and log in with your Federal Student Aid ID. Your servicer name will appear in the "My Loans" section. You can also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) and they will tell you which servicer handles each of your loans.
Can I request another pause if I cannot afford to pay when the restart date arrives?
Yes. You can request an income-driven repayment plan, which may lower your payment to as little as $0 per month based on your income. You can also request forbearance or deferment, though these do not lower your payment — they pause it. Contact your servicer at least two weeks before your restart date to request one of these options.
Do I have to make a payment on the exact restart date?
No. Your payment is due on the date your servicer specifies, but you have until the end of that day to pay without being marked late. If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, your servicer typically extends the deadline to the next business day. Check your servicer's website for their specific grace period policy.
What if my restart date has already passed and I have not paid?
Contact your servicer immediately. Explain your situation and ask about forbearance, deferment, or an income-driven plan. These options may pause your payments or lower them. The sooner you contact them, the more options you may have to avoid default and credit damage.
Will interest accrue during the pause before my restart date?
For federal loans, interest did not accrue during the COVID pause. For other pauses like forbearance or deferment, interest usually does accrue unless you have subsidized loans in deferment. Check your loan documents or ask your servicer whether interest is accruing on your specific loans during your pause period.