Publication Date: August 27, 2003
Author: General Manager: FSA Schools Channel
Summary: Contacting the Direct Loan Applicant Services Department
Posted on 08-27-2003
To: All Destination Points
From: COD School Relations Center
RE: Contacting the Direct Loan Applicant Services Department
The Department of Education would like to remind schools the Applicant Services Department (800/557-7394) is available to assist your Direct Loan PLUS borrowers and endorsers in a variety of ways. These include:
- Providing information concerning Credit Status and Denied Credit Decision Appeals
- Providing information on obligations/responsibilities to Endorsers of PLUS loans
COD is currently experiencing unusually high call volume on the Applicant Services Department's telephone lines and many students are waiting for an extended period of time only to be directed back to their school for help. Often their questions refer to actual disbursement information or requests to change the student's address. Only the school can address actual disbursement questions and the school should initiate any permanent address changes.
We encourage schools to advise their PLUS borrowers to contact the Applicant Services Department at 800/557-7394 for assistance; however, we urge schools to assist their student borrowers with questions concerning their loans via the COD website at www.cod.ed.gov. If your school is in need of access to COD, please review the IFAP announcement: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/cod/0318Schoolaccess.html.
Thank you for your cooperation and your attention to this matter. If you have questions regarding your Direct Loan processing at COD, please contact the COD School Relations Center at 800/848-0978 or by e-mail at CODSupport@acs-inc.com.