Ayelet Sheffey
July 19, 2026
Jessica Salmi waited nearly an hour on hold before her call was disconnected. Jason Marques’ servicer can’t say if his next student-loan payment will be $100 or $633. Robin Binkley is struggling to find out which repayment plan she qualifies for.
As millions of borrowers navigate President Donald Trump’s sweeping student-loan repayment overhaul, which took effect on July 1, dozens have told Business Insider they’re struggling to get clear answers from the companies that service their loans. They described long hold times, disconnected calls, and conflicting or incorrect information.
Ellen Keast, the Education Department’s higher education press secretary, said that internal data show hold times and dropped-call rates have remained consistent.