how do I find out about a student loan that I defaulted on?

Question

it was through american inter-continental university online (AIU)

Answer 1

If it was a federal student loan (Stafford, Perkins, or PLUS) you can look up the loan data on the National Student Loan Data System (the Department of Education database that houses each student's loan information): http://www.nslds.ed.gov . This site will give you information about the kinds of loans you borrowed, the lender (or collection agency) that holds the loan, and information about your payment history. Clicking on each loan will provide you with contact information for each loan holder, so you will know who to call to get your loan out of default.

Now, in order to access the NSLDS site, you will need the PIN that was assigned to you when you filed the FAFSA. If you don't know your PIN number, you can go to www.pin.ed.gov to look it up or get a new one.

Now, I know that lots of students won't go through the PIN application process just to look up their loan information. Although NSLDS really is the best site for you, If you really don't want to look up your PIN, you can get some of your loan info on Loan Locator (a.k.a. Student Clearinghouse: https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/secure_area/loan_locator.asp ) and use your DOB and SSN to look up your loan information. The Loan Locator website can only provide you with the names and contact information for your lenders -- but it's a start. Once you know who holds your loans, you can call that lender (or go to their website) and find out how you can repay the loan.