What to do when a Heartland ECSI account holder dies
Report the death to Heartland ECSI's ECSI Student Loan Servicing at 1-888-549-3274
Notifying Heartland ECSI of a death is not a claim for money. It is the step that stops the account and starts whatever the loan's terms provide at the borrower's death, from a discharge of the balance to a claim the estate settles. The ECSI Student Loan Servicing (1-888-549-3274) handles it.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Heartland ECSI.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Heartland ECSI requires:
Filing a claim
- Upload the death certificate after signing in to the borrower account at heartland.ecsi.net, if account access is available
- Mail the death certificate and cover letter to ECSI, P.O. Box 1289, Moon Township, PA 15108, the correspondence box, not the P.O. Box 1287 payment box
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- The borrower's Heartland Key, or the last four digits of the Social Security numberThe Heartland Key is ECSI's account identifier, printed on billing statements. A borrower has a separate Heartland Key for each school, and each school's loans are resolved separately.
- The name of the school that made the loan
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if you need ECSI to release account informationECSI will not release account information without a release of information from the borrower.
- A short cover letter identifying the borrower, the account, and your contact information
- The original promissory note, for a non-federal institutional or campus-based loanIt shows whether the balance cancels on death and whether a co-signer remains liable.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
For a private institutional loan, ECSI's instruction is to "consult your promissory note for a description of available discharge options." The note decides whether the balance is cancelled or becomes a claim against the estate, and whether a co-signer remains liable.1
A co-signer seeking release is directed by ECSI to "refer to the promissory note for co-signer instructions, contact the school or lender for specific instructions, or contact a Customer Service Advocate."1
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- ECSI Tuition Payment Plans
Tuition payment plans1
Phone: 1-866-927-1438
What Heartland ECSI's agreement and guidance say3
- What it does when notified
ECSI is the servicer and the school is the loan holder. Proof of death goes through ECSI, and the school that holds the loan acts on it.1
- Who can get account information
ECSI "will not provide any account information during this call unless the borrower has provided ECSI with a release of information." An executor should expect to establish authority with Letters before getting details.1
- Payments after the death
Recurring automatic (ACH) payments are set up with ECSI directly and are not cancelled by the death; stop them with ECSI so the estate does not keep paying.1
Not in Heartland ECSI's published guidance2
- A claim form
- How long a claim takes
Sources1
Heartland ECSI's ECSI Student Loan Servicing can be reached by phone at 1-888-549-3274 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Heartland ECSI primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Heartland ECSI death claims support
ECSI Student Loan Servicing
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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