Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS
On November 1, 2023, the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) will transfer its Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) student loan portfolio to Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC). ECMC is a nonprofit guarantor for FFELP loans and was designated by the U.S. Department of Education as the successor guarantor for NCSEAA’s FFELP loan portfolio.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS
After the transfer date listed above, NCSEAA will no longer administer loans in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). If you are currently making voluntary payments on a FFELP account with NCSEAA, you will need to arrange to make payments directly to ECMC instead, beginning on or after November 1, 2023. You will receive a letter from ECMC after your loans have been transferred which will contain detailed information on where to direct payments, contact information, and any other information you will need regarding your student loan(s). If your payments to NCSEAA on your FFELP loans are currently being made through an electronic process, you should terminate that arrangement to avoid any delay in crediting your account once it has been transferred to ECMC.
Please note: If you have other student loans with NCSEAA that are not part of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), those other loans will remain with NCSEAA and you should remain in contact with NCSEAA regarding them. This includes loans in the North Carolina EXTRA Education Loan program, the NC Assist Loan program, the National Board Certification Loan program, and all of our forgivable loan programs for service, including FELS, Teaching Fellows and Principal Fellows among others.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL
- If you defaulted on your FFELP student loans prior to March 13, 2020, and have officially notified NCSEAA that you have chosen to opt-in to the U.S. Department of Education’s “Fresh Start” program, ECMC will arrange for the assignment (transfer) of your FFELP loans to the Department’s loan servicer, Nelnet, soon after November 1, 2023.
- If you defaulted on your FFELP student loans on or after March 13, 2020, ECMC will assign your FFELP loans to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to be returned to good standing. ECMC will provide you with additional information regarding that process.
- If you have entered into a loan rehabilitation agreement with NCSEAA, that agreement will remain in effect when your FFELP loans transfer to ECMC.
We understand that this transition may seem confusing, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need assistance or have questions about this process, please contact ECMC directly using the contact information below:
Mailing Address
ECMC Customer Service
P.O. Box 16408
St. Paul, MN 55116-0408
Phone
888-221-ECMC (3262)
Fax
877-645-7479