Get Started with a GradFin Consultation
We can help find the right program for your needs.
A consultation with our specialists at GradFin can help you compare IDR options and determine which program is best for you – so you can optimize your savings, rest assured about program compliance, and stay on track to achieve federal student loan forgiveness.
You could qualify for forgiveness through a Federal IDR program:
Income-Based Repayment (IBR)-
Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
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Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE)
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Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Benefits of GradFin IDR Management
Rest assured that you're following the rules.
Our annual IDR membership gives you ongoing access to our team of student loan specialists at GradFin who have been helping borrowers manage federal student loan repayment since 2015. Our specialists will keep you in compliance for the duration of your enrollment, and help you prepare for potential forgiveness tax liability2 with a personalized savings strategy.
We help you stay on track for IDR forgiveness.
Become a member to easily apply for IDR, optimize your tax savings plan, and stay in compliance with the program throughout your enrollment.
Analysis & Enrollment
Start with a personalized analysis of your finances, employment, and IDR program eligibility. If you decide to enroll in an IDR program, you will receive guidance throughout the application process, including employer verification.
Qualifying Payment Audit & Appeal
We conduct an audit of your student loan history to confirm that you are credited for all qualifying payments. We will also manage any disputed payment appeals directly with the Department of Education on your behalf.
Savings Optimization
We will determine your estimated tax liability and provide guidance for a monthly and annual savings strategy. This includes how to prepare for potential future forgiveness tax liability.
Expert Guidance until Forgiveness
Ongoing access to specialists and educational webinars to help answer your questions and provide you with peace of mind that you are on the right track to optimize your savings and achieve student loan forgiveness.
Compare IDR Programs
A path to forgiveness that you can afford.
IDR allows you to set manageable monthly payments based on your income. That means YOU determine how much you can afford to pay each month on your path to forgiveness. Learn more about the different IDR programs available to you in our comprehensive guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions? We've got answers.
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What is GradFin?
GradFin was founded in 2015 to help student loan borrowers manage their loans, repay them faster, start saving earlier and achieve their financial goals. GradFin provides borrowers access to free consultations with student loan specialists, helping them understand their options through student loan forgiveness, refinancing, or a combination of both.
Now a brand of KeyBank N.A., GradFin’s specialists have over 50 years of combined experience in working in federal student loan management, including from former FedLoan Servicing trained employees, and have conducted over 60,000 consultations with borrowers since 2015.
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What can I expect to learn in the 1-on-1 student loan consultation?
A GradFin student loan specialist will break down your student loan profile, provide a chart on what your new loan payoff could look like, answer questions about what terms are the best for your unique situation, and answer any application questions you may have.
If refinancing is determined to be your best option, they can help you understand what information impacts the interest rate that you might expect to be offered on your loan refinancing. Items such as your FICO score, income level, student loan balance, and current interest rate structure can impact your offer, and your specialist can walk you through how to qualify for the lowest rates on your loans.
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What is Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)?
Income-driven repayment was introduced to provide borrowers with options other than forbearance when they have trouble making monthly payments. Four of the more popular income-driven options are, Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) all of which adjust the borrower’s payments based on their adjusted gross income and family size – not how much they owe. Those pursuing PSLF will need to be enrolled in an IDR plan.
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What is the one-time IDR adjustment, and who needs to take action by the 2023 end of year deadline?
The Department of Education (ED) will conduct a one-time account adjustment to borrower accounts that will count time toward IDR and PSLF forgiveness, including:
- Any months in a repayment status, regardless of the payments made, loan type, or repayment plan
- 12 or more months of consecutive forbearance or 36 or more months of cumulative forbearance
- Months spent in economic hardship or military deferments after 2013
- Months spent in any deferment (with the exception of in-school deferment) prior to 2013
- Any time in repayment on earlier loans prior to consolidation of those loans into a consolidation loan
Borrowers who have commercially managed FFEL, Perkins, or Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program loans should apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan by the end of 2023, to get the full benefits of the one-time account adjustment. For more information, visit studentaid.gov.
Student Loan Resources
Explore our resources.
Disclaimers
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a student loan debt relief plan which includes forgiveness of up to $10,000 for qualifying federal student loans and up to $20,000 for qualifying Pell Grant recipients. For more information, please read the announcement. Please note that if you refinance qualifying federal student loans with Laurel Road, you may no longer be eligible for certain benefits or programs and waive your right to future benefits or programs offered on those loans. Examples of benefits or programs you may not receive include, but are not limited to, student loan debt relief or public service loan forgiveness, repayment options such as Income Based Repayment or Pay As You Earn, or COVID-19 relief benefits such as a 0% interest rate, suspension of payments or loan forgiveness. Please carefully consider your options when refinancing federal student loans and consult StudentAid.gov for the most current information.
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GradFin and Laurel Road are brands of KeyBank N.A.
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In providing this information, neither Laurel Road nor KeyBank nor its affiliates are acting as your agent or is offering any tax, financial, accounting, or legal advice.