What to do when a Laurel Road account holder dies
Contact Laurel Road — 6-step process, 3 required documents, and laurel road / keybank does not publish a fixed timeline for a death discharge. the estate reports the death to mohela at 877.292.6845, which then provides the required documentation; the discharge is processed after mohela receives and reviews acceptable proof (a certified death certificate). interest continues to accrue until a discharge is granted or the balance is paid.
Brand change
The Laurel Road brand has joined KeyBank; laurelroad.com redirects to key.com. Existing Laurel Road loans keep the same account number, terms, and payment due date, and student-loan servicing continues with MOHELA. The March 16, 2026 effective date is from secondary reporting; the rebrand itself is confirmed by the live laurelroad.com to key.com redirects and key.com's own "brands have joined KeyBank" statement. Effective March 2026.
Laurel Road is now part of KeyBank. The procedures below reflect Laurel Road's accounts during the transition. View the KeyBank estate planning page.
MOHELA — Death and Disability Discharge (Laurel Road / KeyBank loans)
When an account holder at Laurel Road dies, the executor contacts the MOHELA — Death and Disability Discharge (Laurel Road / KeyBank loans) (877-292-6845) to report the death and request the balance as of the date of death. The balance is a claim against the estate: it is paid from estate assets, in the order the state sets, before anything reaches the heirs.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 877-292-6845. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Laurel Road:
Filing a claim
- The remaining balance may be forgiven in the event of the borrower's death, on loans disbursed on or after March 20, 2015
- MOHELA provides the options and the required documentation for the discharge; a certified copy of the death certificate is the standard proof
- A permanent-disability discharge is separately available where the borrower demonstrates a significant unanticipated permanent reduction in income due to permanent disability
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate for the deceased borrower
- The MOHELA / Laurel Road / KeyBank loan account number
- Letters of Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit, if the servicer requires proof of authority to act for the estate
What to know at this institution
A Laurel Road / KeyBank student loan and personal loan are debts, not assets — none carries a payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. Student loans (refinance and private) are serviced by MOHELA; the estate reports the death to MOHELA at 877.292.6845 (TTY 711). Laurel Road / KeyBank publishes a death (and permanent-disability) discharge for its private student loans, available on loans disbursed on or after March 20, 2015: the remaining balance may be forgiven in the event of the borrower's death. Because refinancing a federal loan into this private loan surrenders the federal death-discharge, this private-loan provision is the operative one afterward. The forgiveness page runs a phone-driven process ("call us... for your options and required documentation") rather than publishing a claim form or a mailed-letter intake, so letterOfInstruction is "not-accepted"; the required death certificate is submitted through the channel MOHELA specifies. The forgiveness page does NOT publish a cosigner-death policy, and personal loans carry no published death-forgiveness provision — both should be confirmed with the servicer. This record is distinct from the retail KeyBank (`keybank`) entry: a Laurel Road / KeyBank student loan is settled through MOHELA, not KeyBank's retail branch channels.
How long the process takes at Laurel Road: Laurel Road / KeyBank does not publish a fixed timeline for a death discharge. The estate reports the death to MOHELA at 877.292.6845, which then provides the required documentation; the discharge is processed after MOHELA receives and reviews acceptable proof (a certified death certificate). Interest continues to accrue until a discharge is granted or the balance is paid. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
To process a claim, Laurel Road needs Certified copy of the death certificate for the deceased borrower, The MOHELA / Laurel Road / KeyBank loan account number, and Letters of Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit, if the servicer requires proof of authority to act for the estate. Death certificates and court documents must be certified copies—photocopies are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
Laurel Road / KeyBank publishes a death discharge for its private student loans: the remaining balance may be forgiven in the event of the borrower's death, available on loans disbursed on or after March 20, 2015. The loans are serviced by MOHELA, so the estate reports the death by calling 877.292.6845 (TTY: dial 711). MOHELA provides the options and the required documentation, which include a certified copy of the death certificate.
Yes. A federal student loan is cancelled on the borrower's death, but refinancing it into a Laurel Road private loan replaces the federal loan with private debt and gives up that federal death-discharge. What governs afterward is Laurel Road / KeyBank's own policy, which does provide a death discharge for private student loans disbursed on or after March 20, 2015. Confirm eligibility for the specific loan with MOHELA at 877.292.6845.
Laurel Road and KeyBank student loans are serviced by MOHELA (the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri). The loans are made by KeyBank, National Association. To report a death, ask about the death discharge, or request a payoff, call MOHELA toll free at 877.292.6845 (TTY: dial 711), Monday through Thursday 7 AM-8 PM CT and Friday 7 AM-5 PM CT.
The estate reports the death to MOHELA, which provides the required documentation. A certified copy of the death certificate is the standard proof. If the servicer needs to confirm who can act for the estate, it may also ask for Letters of Testamentary or of Administration, or a small estate affidavit where the estate's total assets fall under the dollar limit set by state statute. Have the loan account number ready.
Laurel Road / KeyBank does not publish a cosigner-death policy on its forgiveness page, so the outcome should not be assumed. On the death of a cosigner, a borrower is generally still responsible for the loan, but the specific treatment depends on the loan's terms. Confirm the cosigner's obligation for the specific loan with MOHELA at 877.292.6845.
No published forgiveness provision applies to a Laurel Road / KeyBank personal loan; the death and disability discharge Laurel Road publishes applies to student loans. On the borrower's death, a personal loan balance becomes an obligation of the estate and is settled through the estate's ordinary debt-payment process. Contact the servicer to report the death and obtain the payoff amount.
No. A refinanced or private student loan and a personal loan are debts, not assets, so there is no payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. When the borrower dies, the obligation becomes part of the estate. A qualifying student loan may be discharged on the borrower's death; a personal loan is settled by the estate.
No. Laurel Road is a digital lending brand of KeyBank, National Association, and the brand has been folded into KeyBank ("Laurel Road® and GradFin® brands have joined KeyBank"). laurelroad.com now redirects to key.com. Existing loans keep the same account number, terms, and payment due date, and student-loan servicing continues with MOHELA. To settle a deceased borrower's student loan, contact MOHELA at 877.292.6845 rather than KeyBank's retail branch line.
Laurel Road's MOHELA — Death and Disability Discharge (Laurel Road / KeyBank loans) can be reached by phone at 877-292-6845 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Laurel Road primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
MOHELA — Death and Disability Discharge (Laurel Road / KeyBank loans)
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