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Common Actions and Topics

Attention Great Lakes will no longer be servicing federal student loans as of June 2023. Nelnet, whom we've shared the same parent company with since 2018, will be your new student loan servicer. Like two sides of the same coin, we'll continue to work together with the shared commitment of helping you successfully manage your student loans. For more information about the transfer to Nelnet, visit Nelnet.com/transfer.

Apply for Consolidation

Are you tired of managing multiple federal student loan payments with multiple interest rates or multiple servicers? If so, now may be the time for loan consolidation. The U.S. Department of Education made the landmark decision to allow you to choose your consolidation servicer under the Direct Consolidation Loan program.

Questions on Consolidation?

What Is it? Is It Right for You?

Prepare and Apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan

1. Prepare

Gather your info!

It's important to gather your application information ahead of time, especially since you're required to complete your application in one session. The online application should then only take you about 30 minutes to complete.

  • Student loan records, account statements, and bills. If you're uncertain where to locate your loan information, visit the StudentAid.gov offsite .
    • Loan servicer name, address, and phone number
    • Loan type (Stafford, Perkins, PLUS, etc.)
    • Account number
    • Balance
  • Federal Student Aid ID offsite
  • Personal information, including driver's license details, address, phone number, and email address
  • Employer's name, address, and phone number
  • Two references' full names, addresses, phone numbers, and relationship to you

Decide on a repayment plan

Since you must select a repayment plan on your application, start by determining which plan makes the most sense for your situation. To identify your current plan with Great Lakes, and to investigate other plans, visit the Repayment Planner. You can choose from multiple repayment plans with various terms to repay your consolidation loan. Visit StudentAid.gov offsite and click on the Repayment and Consolidation tab to estimate your monthly payment under various repayment options. You may be able to change plans at any time, based on eligibility requirements.

Note: Depending on your situation, there may be eligibility requirements for certain plans. Refer to the consolidation application for more information about repayment plan eligibility.

2. Apply online

Do it in one session

You must complete your application in one session! Your information won't be saved if you navigate away from the online application.

Choose your consolidation servicer

When you apply, you can choose one of the listed federal loan servicers to complete the consolidation and then service your Direct Consolidation loan.

Log into StudentAid.gov offsite You'll need your Federal Student Aid ID offsite .