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Student Loan Rehabilitation — Remove Default Status With Nine Affordable Payments

Difficulty Medium Risk Medium Applies To All (federal student loans) Potential Savings Stops collections, restores aid eligibility, and removes default status from the loan Last Verified 2026-04-03

Student Loan Rehabilitation — Remove Default Status With Nine Affordable Payments

What Is It?

Federal student loan rehabilitation is one way to get a defaulted federal student loan out of default. After successful completion, the default status is removed and collections stop.

What Most People Don’t Know

  • It usually requires nine on-time payments under a rehabilitation agreement.
  • The monthly payment is not automatically your old scheduled payment.
  • This is different from consolidation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many payments are required?


A: Federal Student Aid says Direct Loan and FFEL borrowers generally must make nine on-time payments during a period of 10 consecutive months.

What changes after rehabilitation?


A: Default status is removed, collections stop, and eligibility for federal student aid is restored.

Sources