--- company: nelnet title: Nelnet — how complaints actually go last_verified: 2026-10-12 --- ## In short Nelnet services federal student loans for the Department of Education, which owns the loans and decides many outcomes, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Nelnet answers CFPB complaints on time, but in the 12 months to June 2026 it closed every one of them with an explanation only, with no recorded relief. For a fix, escalate to the Federal Student Aid Feedback Center as well. Never pay anyone for student loan help and never share your FSA ID. ## How complaints actually go - A CFPB complaint goes to Nelnet for a response within 15 days, or 60 days if it asks for more time. In the 12 months to June 2026 Nelnet answered 7,043 of 7,051 complaints on time and closed all 7,051 with an explanation. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=Nelnet%2C%20Inc.&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Federal student loan servicers often answer that the Department of Education controls the outcome: in 2025 they told the CFPB they could not set up a payment arrangement without the Department's authorization, and that after forwarding a PSLF application to Federal Student Aid they must wait for its confirmation. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) - Across all student loan companies in 2025, companies did not give a timely response, or any response, to 31% of CFPB complaints, citing pending litigation over federal repayment programs and changes in servicing. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) ## What tends to work - Send the complaint to the Federal Student Aid Feedback Center, run by the Department of Education, which owns the loans; attach your timeline and Nelnet's replies. [Federal Student Aid Feedback Center](https://studentaid.gov/feedback-center/) - Ask for corrections to credit reporting in writing, with proof: in 2025, servicers sometimes acknowledged payment posting errors and corrected consumers' credit files after a complaint, and in other cases said the original reporting was accurate. Credit reporting is the second-largest product in Nelnet's CFPB complaints (2,799 of 7,051). [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=Nelnet%2C%20Inc.&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) ## Traps and fine print - Forbearance can cost PSLF credit. Borrowers told the CFPB in 2025 that loans were placed in forbearance without their request, which hurt their PSLF payment counts, and that servicers miscounted qualifying payments or delayed PSLF applications. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) - Borrowers also reported payments credited late or to the wrong loan after a change in the servicer's platform, and automatic payments that were missed or kept going after payoff. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) - Data breach: a 2022 data breach exposed personal information, including Social Security numbers and addresses, of more than 2.5 million student loan borrowers. A $10 million class settlement with Nelnet Servicing and EdFinancial got final court approval in May 2026. [Bloomberg Law, May 22, 2026](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/student-loan-servicers-10-million-deal-gets-final-court-nod) ## By the numbers - CFPB complaints received July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 for "Nelnet, Inc.": 7,051. Products: student loan 3,556, credit reporting 2,799, debt collection 659. Top issues: incorrect information on a report 2,516, dealing with your lender or servicer 1,662, the company's investigation into an existing problem 908, struggling to repay your loan 603. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=Nelnet%2C%20Inc.&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - All 7,051 closed with explanation (none with monetary or non-monetary relief), and 7,043 (99.9%) were marked timely. Data retrieved 2026-10-12. [CFPB complaint database search](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search/api/v1/?company=Nelnet%2C%20Inc.&date_received_min=2025-07-01&date_received_max=2026-06-30&size=0) - Complaint data is not a statistical sample. The CFPB says companies sometimes select "Closed with explanation" even when the consumer got relief, and complaints returned as administrative responses are not published. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf) ## Scams that target customers - The FTC says never share your FSA ID, never pay an upfront fee for student loan help, log in to StudentAid.gov to see your servicer and its contact details, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. [FTC consumer alert, May 21, 2025](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/05/spotting-student-loan-scams) - Borrowers told the CFPB in 2025 that third-party companies promised student loan forgiveness for a fee; servicers answered that they were not affiliated with those companies. [CFPB 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report](https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_2025-cr-annual-report_2026-03.pdf)