Navient

Navient

 3.9/5 (695 reviews)
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3.9(695)

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Overall Rating3.9 out of 5
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About Navient

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Navient offers and services federal and private student loans for qualified applicants. It allows students to manage their accounts via its website, providing access to educational tools and budgeting spreadsheets. Its rates are determined by Congress, but it offers a discount for students who set up automatic payments. Borrowers can pay on the website, over the phone or by mail.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Military benefits
  • User-friendly mobile app
  • Auto-pay discounts

Cons

  • 2017 lawsuit
  • Can’t pay by credit card

Bottom Line

Navient is a federal and private student loan servicer and collector. It’s known as one of the largest federal loan servicers in the country, and borrowers can take advantage of its reduced interest rates through auto-pay.

Top Navient Reviews

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This company has been so easy to work with and the Customer Service is exceptional. There is always someone willing to help via email or a phone call away. There are so many optio...

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My loan was originally with Sallie Mae. When Navient came into the picture, they offered several repayment options, allowing one to choose the plan best suited for them. When my i...

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What is Navient?

Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Navient was created in 2014 after it parted ways with Sallie Mae Bank. It currently manages over $300 million in student loans for over 12 million debtors.

The organization has a rich history, originating in 1973 as a government-sponsored enterprise called Sallie Mae. In 2004, Sallie Mae turned into a private sector organization; in 2009, the U.S. Department of Education elected Sallie Mae to receive federal loans on its behalf. The company separated into Navient and Sallie Mae in 2014.

Today, Navient helps service millions of student loans to assist students in successfully navigating their financial aid.

How does Navient work?

Navient works as a loan servicer between borrowers and their lenders (the U.S. government). Its services include sending bills and account statements, processing payments, assisting borrowers with payment plans and requesting deferment or forbearance. It also helps certify borrowers for loan forgiveness.

Students can set up accounts on its website for an easier loan management experience. Its website allows auto-pay, repayment change, loan forgiveness, due date changes, payoff time calculation and tax documentation.

Take advantage of its online interactive budgeting worksheets, financial blogs and educational tools. In addition, Navient has a mobile app for a user-friendly and convenient experience.

Navient student loan requirements

Student loan repayment options differ depending on the type of loan, the promissory note and the lender. Federal student loans generally follow three plans: Standard, Graduated and Extended.

Standard payment plans last up to 10 years with a fixed monthly payment amount of $50 minimum. Monthly payment amounts are based on your total loan amount — the more you owe, the higher your monthly payment will be.

Graduated repayment plans are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years. They’re set to an amount that helps ensure your loans are repaid within the remaining terms. Repayment is generally 10 years and can go up to 30 years for consolidated loans.

Extended repayment plans offer up to 25 years to repay loans. They’re available for most borrowers with more than $30,000 in direct or FFEL Program loan balances.

Navient student loan rates

Congress sets interest rates through legislation, but borrowers who sign up for autopay may be eligible to reduce their interest rate by 0.25%. For Federal Direct Student Loans disbursed between July 2020 and June 2021, the following rates are fixed:

  • Direct subsidized loans and direct unsubsidized loans for undergraduate students: 2.75%
  • Direct unsubsidized loans for graduate and professional students: 4.30%
  • Direct Plus loans for parents of undergraduate students and Direct Plus loans for graduate or professional students: 5.30%

Navient FAQ

Is Navient a federal or private loan lender?
Navient is one of the largest federal student loan servicers. It also services private student loans from various lenders.
How do I pay my Navient loan?
Navient acquires payments differently depending on whether you have a federal or private loan, the status of your loan and if you have multiple loans that are combined into one billing or loan group. In general, Navient accepts payments via its website by connecting your bank account, by telephone to pay by debit card or by mail to pay by check.
Can Navient garnish wages?
Navient can garnish wages for private student loans after they file a lawsuit and receive a judgment. For federal student loans, Navient typically will not garnish wages.
Will Navient settle student loans?
Navient has accepted settlement offers for private student loans. However, It will not settle a student loan in good standing.

Is Navient legit?

Navient is one of the largest and most well-known companies for managing federal and private student loans. It does offer a wide array of online services, including repayment plan options and account management. It also offers a military benefits program for active-duty and post-active service members. Borrowers can also take advantage of reduced interest rates through auto-pay.

Navient Reviews

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Page 1 Reviews 0 - 10
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Verified Reviewer
Original review: May 24, 2023

I emailed them my forbearance form and paystubs but they denied it. I explained to them many times that I can’t afford the payments. They only care about money. They wants money and don’t care about us.

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Verified Reviewer
Original review: April 24, 2023

You'd think the company would make sure their website works 24/7. Have had an account for +15 years. Out of the blue, it deletes my email address, sends me snail mail to update it--but their fricking system won't take any email address input. The kickers--their online chat is for ** and if you want to send an email to them--you have to have a listed email in your profile--the very problem I'm trying to resolve. There's no excuse for non-functioning websites in today's web environment.

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Jan. 8, 2023

    I received a Private Student Loan for college in 2005 from then Sallie Mae. I was young and foolish, with no understanding of how loans and interest worked. This loan should not have been available to someone in my position. The loan was granted with a co-signer, my father. After failing out of college I started repayment. Every time I needed help I was mislead or otherwise. I now work in the trades and have been working diligently on repayment. My father needs released as co-signer for personal reasons. This is where it gets ridiculous. I reached out to Navient to have him released as a co-signer. I was Rejected. Reason: I didn’t graduate. I make 2x as much money with better credit than my co-signer but I couldn’t release him because I didn’t graduate college! Ability to repay wasn’t even a consideration in this case. If college is in your future I wish you the best. Navient is a great place to avoid for funding this dream.

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Nov. 29, 2022

    Distribution of funds for late/current payment difficult to read for non-finance majors. Have to search 'fine print' for definitions of 'wording' and 'concepts'. Bold faced/red numbers/words distracting and patronizing (similar to text jargon for "SHOUTING"). Overall, I detest making payments on this site!!! Truly unappealing, offensive, and just AWFUL!

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Nov. 20, 2022

    I have had a loan with Navient for way to long.. I try every month to log in and check my status to verify payments have been received etc. ... Every month I have to call to get logged in because the website doesn't recognize my login. It tells me my username if I ask the bot but the password is like trying to get into Fort Knox. This is the worst website and I know because I also use the Connect Colorado website for insurance and that one is bad but I believe this is the worst.

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Sept. 20, 2022

    I have been making payments to Navient for a student loan over the past 15 years. During that time I have sporadically been unemployed or made less when starting a new position, but I've always made a point to pay this loan down as longs as it's economically feasible. I started with a loan amount of $23,000 and with interest over these years it ballooned to over $36,000. Currently I have the loan paid down to $20,000. Unfortunately I have recently become unemployed again and called to postpone or reduce my payments, but was informed that I have no forbearance options left to me. I asked to see what a reduced payment would look like and was offered a $150.00/month reduction. During the call with customer service I was asked to provide the amount in my savings account since I now have no income.

    I was also asked to provide a card to make the payments with even though I informed them I would continue to make payments online as usual. Apparently, they do not trust people enough to make payments and required me to make an automated withdrawal every month. This is something I simply cannot do without any income. I joked with the customer service representative that I guess I could not pay my mortgage or skip a few meals during the week. The reply was that they were not asking me to do that...yet they would force me to do that by now offering any meaningful assistance. The point here is to not expect Navient to care about your situation. They will literally take money from those who do not have it. Stay far, far away from this company if needing a private student loan. I've been paying for this mistake for 15 years and have nothing to show for it.

    4 people found this review helpful
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Sept. 6, 2022

    This company is the worst. Payout??!! What payout?? Those of us who still have loans from Sallie Mae should of all been forgiven due to fraud and non-stop harassment!!! Those of us that still have the loans have the interest rates that keep going up so we are paying for those who "supposedly" qualified for loan forgiveness. BTW who are these ppl who qualified??? Are they real ppl bc every single person I have come across has not qualified for any forgiveness of any type from this company or the government. It's a scam!! The only thing that I can hope for is that I die before these idiots gets paid off and they have to wrote it off. Bc these have made 100% profit off of me already and I still owe them and will never be able to pay them off.

    BTW the account specialist I had today was a completely rude unprofessional and took God's name in vain when I was speaking with her. She lost her patience with me bc I was struggling to get thru the phone call that I could barely hear her on and I was coughing due to me having COVID and told to call back. I told her, "I needed to get this done today as I can not make my payment and it is due today." Nevermind the fact that I waited 40 minutes on the phone to get someone. Just another reason for me to not like this company.

    2 people found this review helpful
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Aug. 20, 2022

    I ask to postpone my payments of $55.88 due to (temporary hardship) for a couple of months, but instead they (Navient) demanded $600.00 in 2 months. I am a senior citizen on limited income (earnings). I do "NOT" have that kind of money! "Shame on them"!

    2 people found this review helpful
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: June 14, 2022

    This company did not leave not one voice message regarding my account while I am currently still attending college, they set my loan status to default, sent the account to another company in default status, I was unaware until I went to pay 2022 tuition and was not able to because of the current status of my loan, now no one can help me, I have been referred to the other company who refers me back to Navient in which Navient is telling me to call the Dept of Education, just an overall horrifying, disgusting predicament I am current facing because of their negligence, would never recommend anyone do business with this unorganized/incompetent organization.

    4 people found this review helpful
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Jan. 18, 2022

    No wonder this company has got taken down for lies. I called to ask about my account and the lawsuit and was immediately hung up on. I guess they are trying to backpedal like Dr. Fauci with the pandemic. Shows if you give too much power they turn into tyrants.

    8 people found this review helpful
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    Navient Company Information

    Company Name:
    Navient
    Website:
    www.navient.com