If you have student loans and are behind on payments, the next steps depend on whether your loan is federal or private. The rules are very different.

Federal student loans

Federal student loans are backed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you don’t pay, they don’t have to sue you first. They can:

• Take part of your paycheck (up to 15%).
• Keep your tax refunds or part of your Social Security benefits.

The good news: there are special programs that can stop or lower these collections. You may be able to:

• Switch to an income-driven repayment plan, where your payment is based on your income.
• Rehabilitate your loan, where you make a set number of on-time payments to get out of default.
• Consolidate your loans, where you can combine them into one and get back into good standing.

Private student loans

Private student loans are from banks or other private companies. These lenders must usually sue you before they can garnish wages or take money from your bank account. In Illinois, they normally have 10 years to sue on a written contract. Making a payment or promising to pay can restart that clock.

Steps you could take now:

• Find out what type of loan you have. Check your loans at StudentAid.gov for federal loans.
• If you get court papers, do not ignore them — respond and get legal help right away.
• For federal loans, ask about repayment, rehabilitation, or consolidation programs.
• For private loans, ask the collector to prove the debt, check the time limit to sue, and get all agreements in writing.

Where to get help:

• IllinoisLegalAid.org
• Illinois Attorney General’s Student Loan Helpline: 1-800-455-2456.