Would it help to talk this through?
A certified counselor will go through your own numbers with you.
Warning Signs of a Student Loan Scam#
A legitimate counseling service will never promise a guaranteed outcome or pressure you to sign up right away. Be cautious of any company that asks for a large payment before explaining what it will actually do for you, or that claims it can erase your federal student loan debt instantly. Cambridge Credit Counseling does not make these kinds of promises.
What Legitimate Student Loan Counseling Looks Like#
Cambridge Credit Counseling is a nonprofit agency that offers credit counseling, debt management plans, housing counseling, student loan counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, and bankruptcy counseling. Our student loan counseling is built for consumers who are struggling to manage their monthly federal student loan payments, and our counselors will review your budget along with every federal repayment plan you may qualify for before recommending anything.
Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Student Loan Counseling Department#
Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Student Loan Counseling Department can explain borrowers’ options for choosing or changing a repayment plan, lowering monthly payments, ending garnishments and tax levies, forbearance or deferment, forgiveness or cancellation, and consolidating federal student loans. For borrowers who have not made payments in years, counselors can review the budget and explain the federal loan rehabilitation program, which can bring a loan out of default and end garnishments and tax refund seizures.
Federal-First Guidance, Not Private Loan Help#
Cambridge Credit Counseling’s student loan counseling does not cover private student loans. It assists only with the federal student loan repayment process. This matters because the U.S. Department of Education now makes all of its new federal student loans through the Direct Loan Program: lenders have made no new FFEL Program loans since June 30, 2010, and schools have made no new Federal Perkins Loans since September 30, 2017. Older FFEL Program loans are no longer made by private lenders either, so all new federal loans now come directly from the Department of Education.
What to Do Next#
If you are unsure whether a student loan counseling offer is legitimate, or you want help understanding your federal repayment options, you can call Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Student Loan Counseling Department at (888) 661-7910 to talk through your situation.
Common questions
Does Cambridge Credit Counseling help with private student loans?
No. Cambridge Credit Counseling's student loan counseling does not cover private student loans. It assists only with the federal student loan repayment process.
What kind of help can Cambridge Credit Counseling's student loan counselors provide?
They can explain your options for choosing or changing a repayment plan, lowering monthly payments, ending garnishments and tax levies, forbearance or deferment, forgiveness or cancellation, and consolidating federal student loans.
Why do new federal student loans now come from the Department of Education?
Because lenders have made no new FFEL Program loans since June 30, 2010, and schools have made no new Federal Perkins Loans since September 30, 2017, the U.S. Department of Education now makes all its new federal student loans through the Direct Loan Program. Certain health professions students may also receive loans made by their schools under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services programs.
How can I reach Cambridge Credit Counseling's Student Loan Counseling Department?
You can call the Student Loan Counseling Department at (888) 661-7910 to discuss your federal student loan situation.
Where this information comes from
- 34 CFR 682.209 and 685.208 (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- 34 CFR 685.219 (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- 42 CFR 57.201 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and the Federal Student Aid Handbook (Glossary; 2026-27 Volume 6, Chapter 3) (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-23.
- Federal Student Aid Handbook (Glossary; 2025-26 Volume 8; 2026-27 Volume 6, Chapter 3) and 34 CFR 674.9 (U.S. Department of Education) fsapartners.ed.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- 34 CFR 685.212, 682.402 and 674.61, and Federal Student Aid Handbook 2026-27, Appendix B (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- Why Seek Student Loan Counseling? | Cambridge Credit Counseling Checked 2026-10-28.
- 34 CFR 685.210 (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- 34 CFR 685.208 and 682.209 (U.S. Department of Education) ecfr.gov Checked 2026-10-19.
- Student Loan Counseling from Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Federal Direct Loans Explained: Cambridge Credit Counseling Guide (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Federal Perkins Loans: Repayment Rules | Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Student Loan Debt Consolidation | Cambridge Credit (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Free Financial Education Guides, Worksheets and Newsletters | Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- Rental Counseling: Visit HUD.gov to Find a Counselor (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- How to Spot a Legitimate Credit Counseling Agency | Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- About Cambridge Credit Counseling | Nonprofit (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- What Is a Stafford Loan? Eligibility Explained | Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).
- First-Time Homebuyer Education Courses at Cambridge Credit Counseling (Cambridge Credit Counseling’s own information).