What to do when an ELFI account holder dies
Report the death to ELFI at 1-844-601-3534
Notifying ELFI 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. ELFI (1-844-601-3534) handles it.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting ELFI.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with ELFI:
Filing a claim
- ELFI refinance or in-school private loan: AES at 1-866-763-6349 (elfi.aessuccess.org) or MOHELA (Private) at 1-855-282-4269 (elfi.mohela.com)
- Legacy FFELP loans: AES at 1-800-233-0557 (www.aessuccess.org) or MOHELA at 1-800-945-4701 (www.mohela.com)
- Legacy Allied Health, ALP, EDMED, EDPLATINUM, Xtra Credit, Global Select and PHARM-D loans: AES at 1-800-233-0557
- If you do not know which servicer holds the loan, use the login router at Manage My Loans or call ELFI at 1-844-601-3534
Required Documents
- Proof of deathELFI may accept any of six: the death certificate, verification from the county clerk's office, a letter from the funeral director or clergy, or verification from a credit bureau or the Social Security Administration.
- The deceased borrower's name and account number, noted on the proof of death
- Contact information for the person reporting the death
- The ELFI promissory note or loan agreement, if availableIt sets the death terms.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, only if the servicer asks the estate representative to act on the account
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
Whether the balance is discharged or passes to the estate is governed by the promissory note or loan agreement. ELFI's article on student loans and death describes private loans as estate debt and tells borrowers to check the promissory note or loan agreement.1
Where the deceased was a cosigner, the promissory note decides: some loans continue as the primary borrower's responsibility, while some private loans make the entire remaining balance immediately due. ELFI does not offer cosigner release, so a deceased cosigner can be removed only by refinancing the loan again.1
Accounts handled elsewhere4
- American Education Services (AES)
ELFI refinance and in-school private loans2
Phone: 1-866-763-6349
- MOHELA (Private)
ELFI refinance and in-school private loans2
Phone: 1-855-282-4269
- American Education Services (AES)
Legacy FFELP loans and the Allied Health, ALP, EDMED, EDPLATINUM, Xtra Credit, Global Select and PHARM-D loans2
Phone: 1-800-233-0557
- MOHELA
Legacy FFELP loans2
Phone: 1-800-945-4701
Not in ELFI's published guidance3
- A claim form
- How long a claim takes
- Terms in its agreements for a customer's death
Sources2
- 1.Are Student Loans Forgiven If You Die?, published January 29, 2021
- 2.Borrower Information
ELFI can be reached by phone at 1-844-601-3534, email at answers@elfi.com, and fax at 1-865-670-3701 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from ELFI primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
ELFI death claims support
Phone
AES (American Education Services) — REFI/In-School Private
MOHELA (Private) — REFI/In-School Private
AES — legacy FFELP loans
MOHELA — legacy FFELP loans
AES — other legacy loan programs
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
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