What to do when a Firstmark Services account holder dies
Contact Firstmark Services — 6-step process, 4 required documents, and firstmark services does not publish a fixed timeline for resolving a deceased borrower's private student loan. because the outcome depends on the underlying lender's promissory note, the timeline varies by loan program: some private lenders discharge the balance on the borrower's death, while others hold the estate and/or a cosigner liable. contact firstmark at 888.538.7378 to confirm the process and any deadlines for the specific loan.
Firstmark Services Customer Service
Written correspondence: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522. Payments: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 2977, Omaha, NE 68103-2977. (Firstmark.MyLoanManager.com portal accounts: phone 844-649-2917; correspondence P.O. Box 82546, Lincoln, NE 68501-2532; payments P.O. Box 2595, Omaha, NE 68103.)
Firstmark Services Customer Service
Written correspondence: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522. Payments: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 2977, Omaha, NE 68103-2977. (Firstmark.MyLoanManager.com portal accounts: phone 844-649-2917; correspondence P.O. Box 82546, Lincoln, NE 68501-2532; payments P.O. Box 2595, Omaha, NE 68103.)
Firstmark Services (Deceased Borrower / Representative Designation)
Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522
Notifying Firstmark Services of a death is not a claim for money — it is the step that stops the account, fixes the balance owed as of the date of death, and puts Firstmark Services on notice as a creditor of the estate. The Firstmark Services (Deceased Borrower / Representative Designation) (888-538-7378) handles it.
Before contacting Firstmark Services, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Firstmark Services:
Filing a claim
- If the deceased borrower had already named a representative, a Representative Designation form on file lets that third party (spouse, parent, etc.) obtain information and make changes to the account after the borrower's death; the designation does not transfer legal responsibility for the loan to that person
- If no representative was designated, the estate representative provides the death certificate and, where Firstmark requires proof of authority, estate documents (Letters Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit) to act on the account
Required Documents
- Death certificate for the deceased borrower (photocopy typically acceptable; confirm with Firstmark for the specific loan program)
- Letters Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit, if Firstmark requires proof of authority to act on the account
- A completed Representative Designation form if a third party is to administer the account (available under Forms after logging in, or on request from an agent)
- The deceased borrower's name and Firstmark account number noted on the documentation
What to know at this institution
A private student loan serviced under the Firstmark Services brand is a debt, not an asset — there is no beneficiary or payable-on-death designation. The single most important fact for an heir: a PRIVATE loan does not automatically discharge on death the way a FEDERAL student loan does. Whether the balance is discharged, forgiven, or survives against the estate and any cosigner is set by the originating lender's promissory note, and Firstmark services many lenders' programs, so treatment differs from loan to loan. Firstmark's own published death mechanism is the Representative Designation form, which lets a borrower (in advance) authorize a third party to administer the account "in the event of the borrower's death" without transferring legal responsibility for the loan. Firstmark does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form, so a survivor sends its own written notice plus the death certificate and any required estate documents (user-drafted). Firstmark Services is a division of Nelnet, Inc. (Nelnet Servicing, LLC, NMLS ID# 1508613); it is the servicer, not the lender.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Firstmark Services
Firstmark Services accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Firstmark Services's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Firstmark Services: Firstmark Services does not publish a fixed timeline for resolving a deceased borrower's private student loan. Because the outcome depends on the underlying lender's promissory note, the timeline varies by loan program: some private lenders discharge the balance on the borrower's death, while others hold the estate and/or a cosigner liable. Contact Firstmark at 888.538.7378 to confirm the process and any deadlines for the specific loan. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Firstmark Services requires Death certificate for the deceased borrower (photocopy typically acceptable; confirm with Firstmark for the specific loan program), Letters Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit, if Firstmark requires proof of authority to act on the account, A completed Representative Designation form if a third party is to administer the account (available under Forms after logging in, or on request from an agent), and The deceased borrower's name and Firstmark account number noted on the documentation to process a death claim. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. Unlike a federal student loan, which is discharged on the borrower's death, a private student loan's treatment is set by the underlying lender's promissory note. Firstmark Services is the servicer, not the lender, and services many lenders' programs, so it publishes no single death policy. Some private lenders discharge or forgive the balance on death; others hold the estate and/or a cosigner liable. Call Firstmark at 888.538.7378 to confirm how the specific loan program treats a deceased borrower.
Possibly. Firstmark states that the legal responsibility for a loan remains with the borrower and any cosigners. Whether a surviving cosigner owes the balance after the borrower's death, and whether any cosigner-release or death provision applies, depends on the loan program's terms. Contact Firstmark at 888.538.7378 to confirm the cosigner's liability on the specific loan.
A borrower can complete a Representative Designation form to let a third party (spouse, parent, etc.) obtain information and make changes to the account in the event of the borrower's death. The authorization does not transfer or assign legal responsibility for the loan to that representative. The form is located under Forms after logging in to the account, or it can be requested through an agent.
Call Firstmark Services at 888.538.7378 (Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Central) to report the death and identify the loan program, then send the death certificate — and, where Firstmark requires proof of authority, Letters Testamentary or of Administration or a small estate affidavit — to Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522, or fax it to 1-866-258-9233. Firstmark does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form, so the survivor sends its own written notice with the documents. Write the borrower's name and account number on every page.
No. A student loan is a debt, not an asset, so there is no beneficiary, payable-on-death, or transfer-on-death designation and it cannot be titled to a trust. When the borrower dies, the obligation is resolved through the lender's terms — discharged, forgiven, or paid by the estate and/or a liable cosigner — not passed to a named beneficiary.
A private student loan continues to accrue interest and can be reported delinquent unless and until the lender discharges it, so the account should not be left to fall behind while treatment is being confirmed. When the outcome is uncertain, ask Firstmark at 888.538.7378 whether a forbearance is available for the loan program during the review, and confirm whether any surviving cosigner is expected to keep the account current.
Firstmark Services is a servicer, not the lender. It collects payments and administers private and institutional student loans on behalf of the banks, credit unions, and institutions that originated them. Because Firstmark is not the lender, a deceased borrower's balance is resolved under the originating lender's promissory note, which is why death and cosigner treatment differ from one Firstmark-serviced loan to another.
Firstmark Services's Firstmark Services (Deceased Borrower / Representative Designation) can be reached by phone at 888-538-7378 and fax at 1-866-258-9233 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Firstmark Services primary sources (3 pages reviewed). How we research.
Firstmark Services Customer Service
Written correspondence: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522. Payments: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 2977, Omaha, NE 68103-2977. (Firstmark.MyLoanManager.com portal accounts: phone 844-649-2917; correspondence P.O. Box 82546, Lincoln, NE 68501-2532; payments P.O. Box 2595, Omaha, NE 68103.)
Firstmark Services Customer Service
Written correspondence: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522. Payments: Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 2977, Omaha, NE 68103-2977. (Firstmark.MyLoanManager.com portal accounts: phone 844-649-2917; correspondence P.O. Box 82546, Lincoln, NE 68501-2532; payments P.O. Box 2595, Omaha, NE 68103.)
Firstmark Services (Deceased Borrower / Representative Designation)
Firstmark Services, P.O. Box 82522, Lincoln, NE 68501-2522
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