Borrower in Default Survey

Federal Student Aid
Borrowers in Default
2019 Survey
[Programming instructions in bold brackets]
You have received this survey as part of an initiative the United States Department of Education Office of Federal
Student Aid has undertaken to improve customer satisfaction for borrowers who are in delinquent in one or more of
their student loan(s) for more than 271 days.
The survey will take approximately twelve minutes to complete. CFI Group, an independent research and
consulting firm, is conducting this survey, which is authorized by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget,
Control No. 1845-0045. It is hosted via a secure server. Your responses will remain anonymous and will only be
reported in aggregate form. You will not be contacted as a result of taking this survey. If you have any
questions, please contact [email protected].
Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback.
PRA Burden Statement
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection
displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1845-0045. Public reporting burden for
this collection of information is estimated to average 12 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond
to this collection is voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please
contact Federal Student Aid/Customer Experience Office/Customer Analytics Group at 830 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20202 or
[email protected] directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.]

Introduction
1. Which best describes your current status?
a. I graduated with a degree/certificate
b. I am a current student
c. I am on a leave of absence from school
d. I left school (withdrew)
e. Other (please specify) [Skip to Q5]
2. [If Q1=c, d] Why did you leave school? [Please randomize choices,
a. I had a family issue that was not a financial issue or medical issue (e.g. birth of child, death of spouse,
parental care, childcare issue, etc.) [Skip to Q4]
b. I or a relative in my household had a financial issue (e.g. lost a job, had an unexpected expense, etc.)
[Skip to Q4]
c. I or a relative in my household had a medical issue (e.g. injury, depression, illness, etc.) [Skip to Q4]
d. I was not academically ready or prepared [Skip to Q4]
e. Other (please specify) [Skip to Q4]

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3. [If Q1 = a] What degree(s)/certificate did you earn most recently? Please check all that apply (for
example, if you completed a dual-degree program).
a. Certificate [Skip to Q5]
b. Associate’s degree [Skip to Q5]
c. Bachelor’s degree [Skip to Q5]
d. Master’s degree [Skip to Q5]
e. Professional degree (MBA, J.D., etc) [Skip to Q5]
f. Doctorate degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.)[Skip to Q5]
4. [If Q1 = b, c, d] What degree(s)/certificate did you pursue most recently (even if you did not
complete it)? Please check all that apply (for example, if you completed a dual-degree program).
a. Certificate
b. Associate’s degree
c. Bachelor’s degree
d. Master’s degree
e. Professional degree (MBA, J.D., etc.)
f. Doctorate degree (Ph.D., Ed.D, etc.)
Communication
5. Have you been contacted about your student loan(s) going into default?
a. Yes
b. No [Skip to Q11]
c. I’m not sure (please explain) [Capture verbatim comments then skip to Q11]
6. [If Q5 =a] What entity most recently contacted you about your student loan(s) going into default?
a. United States Department of Education (e.g. Debt Management Collection Services/Default
Resolution Group)
b. Loan servicer (e.g. Sallie Mae/Navient, NelNet, Great Lakes, HESC/EdFinancial, FedLoan
Servicing, MOHELA, Cornerstone, Granite State (GSMR), OSLA Servicing, etc.)
c. Guaranty agency (e.g. PHEAA, Great Lakes GA, USA Funds, College Assist, ECMC, ASA, New
York HESC, etc.)
d. Collection agency (e.g. Coast Professionals, Financial Management Systems, Pioneer Credit Recovery,
etc.)
e. School (e.g. City University of New York, Penn State, University of Phoenix, etc.)
f. Other (please specify)
g. I’m not sure
Think about communications you have received about your student loans going into default, such as an initial
notification of default status, monthly statements, notification that your loan(s) had been forwarded to a collection
agency, etc. Thinking about the communications you have received, and using a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is “Poor”
and 10 is “Excellent”, please rate them on:
7.
8.
9.
10.

Ease of understanding the content
Making clear the next steps required of you
The accuracy of your account information (e.g., student aid debt status, payments, balances, etc.)
Ease of finding the customer service help number

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Exit Counseling
11. At the time you graduated, left school, or became enrolled below half-time, you should have been offered an
opportunity to either attend an in-person session at your school or utilize an on-line tool to help you
understand your rights, responsibility, and options in repaying your loan. This is called “exit loan
counseling.” Did you complete an exit counseling session?
a. Yes, it was completed at my school.
b. Yes, I went to StudentLoans.gov, a U.S. Department of Education website, to complete an on-line
exit loan counseling session.
c. No, my school sent me materials related to my loan debt.
d. I don’t know/I’m not sure. [Skip to Q16]
On a scale of 1-10, with “1” being “poor” and “10” being “excellent,” please rate the exit counseling you
received on [Add “I do not remember” column]:
12.
13.
14.
15.
school)

Helping you understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower
Helping you understand how to manage your loan(s)
Helping you understand your options for your repayment plan
The timing of the exit counseling (e.g. at a convenient or appropriate time before you graduated or left

Understanding and Awareness of Options
16. Where have you gone to find out information about your repayment options or how to manage your
student loan(s)?
(Check all that apply)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.

Collection agency
Online loan servicer/guaranty agency account management
Phone number for loan servicer/guaranty agency
Website: myeddebt.ed.gov
Website: www.nslds.ed.gov (National Student Loan Data System)
Website: www.studentaid.ed.gov (Federal Student Aid)
Website: www.studentloans.gov (Student Loans)
Other online government resources
Online non-government resources
Exit counseling at my school
Talking with staff at my school (for example, financial aid officers or academic counselors)
Talking with friends or family
Mobile phone apps
Social media resources (for example: Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook)
Third party debt relief companies
Other (please specify)
I have not used any of these sources of information

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17. Did you pay a fee to a third-party for information about your repayment options or assistance with your
student loans?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
18. Before your student loan(s) defaulted, had you considered income-driven repayment (i.e. income-based
repayment, Pay as You Earn (PAYE), income-contingent repayment, Revised Pay as You Earn (REPAYE))?
a. Yes, I currently have an income-driven repayment plan
b. Yes, I have considered it, but I have another plan
c. No, I didn’t have enough information about it
d. No, I am not interested
e. No, I didn’t think I would qualify

Default Difficulties
19. Which situations best describe the reason(s) you have defaulted on your loan(s)? Please indicate your
main reason and one additional reason if you have one. [Randomize choices][If 19D is selected, 19E
cannot be selected and vice-versa]
Main reason
(select one)
a. The quality of education that I received was insufficient to get a job
b. I dispute owing the loan
c. Due to medical/health reasons, I am unable to make payments
d. I am unemployed
e. I am underemployed
f. Payments not manageable
g. Expenses too high
h. Other (please specify)

Secondary
reason
(select one)

20. Please check all of the expense(s) you have and whether you are current or behind on payment(s).

Mortgage
Rent
Car(s)/car insurance
Credit card(s)
Bank loan (not housing-related
or student loan)
Utilities
Telephone/cable
television/internet service
Heath-related expense
Childcare-related expense
Other (please specify)

I do not have this
expense

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I have this expense
and am current on
my payments

I am behind on this
payment

21.
What do you consider the highest manageable monthly payment you can make toward your student loan(s)?
Please enter a dollar figure below. (For example, if a manageable monthly payment is $1,000, please enter 1000).
[Capture number, do not require response, no negative numbers]
22.
Based on what you know or understand today, which of the things listed below can happen if your student
loan(s) go into default? (check all that apply) [Randomize choices.]
a. Lower credit score
b. More expensive to borrow
c. Not able to get new/more student loans/Pell grants
d. Bankruptcy
e. Receive collection calls from private collection agency
f. Stress
g. Collection fees
h. Federal tax refund/ Social Security benefits withheld by the government
i. Money withheld from pay check
j. Ineligible for VA or FHA loans
k. Ineligible for federal employment
l. Inability to rent at some locations
m. Embarrassment if references are contacted
n. Loss of professional license (in some states)
o. No consequence
p. I don’t know
q. Other (please specify)
23.
Were the consequences (e.g. lowered credit score, collection calls etc.) for defaulting on your loan better or
worse than you anticipated?
a. Better than I anticipated
b. About what I anticipated
c. Worse than I anticipated
24.

Are you working towards the rehabilitation of your loan(s) – that is, getting them out of default status?
a. Yes
b. No [Skip to Q26]

25.

[If Q24 =a]Have you contacted your loan servicer about loan rehabilitation within the last 3 months?
a. Yes
b. No

ACSI Benchmark Questions
Please think about your experiences dealing with the student loan process, including exit counseling, communication
with your loan servicer, information about your repayment options, and anything else you can think of related to
paying back your student loan(s) since they have gone into default.
26.
Using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “very dissatisfied” and 10 means “very satisfied”, how satisfied
have you been with your experiences concerning the handling of your federal student aid debt since your loan(s)
defaulted?
27.
Now please use a 10-point scale on which "1" now means "falls short of your expectations" and "10"
means "exceeds your expectations” - in a positive sense. To what extent has your experience with the handling of
your federal student aid debt met your expectations since your loan(s) defaulted?
28.
Imagine your best-case scenario for working with a collection agency or the Department of Education on the
handling of your federal student aid debt - your ideal process for interacting with them. How well do you think your

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experiences with your student aid debt since your loans defaulted compare with that ideal you just imagined? Please use a
10-point scale on which"1" means "not at all ideal," and "10" means "very close to the ideal."

Outcomes and Closing
29.
Thinking back to the time before you took out any loans to fund your education, how would you characterize
your degree of knowledge and understanding about student loan/federal student aid issues?
a. None
b. Very little
c. Average
d. Above-average
e. Expert
30. Considering all of your student loans, both federal and private, approximately how much do you currently owe?
Please enter a dollar amount with no spaces, commas or dollar signs (for example, if you have $5,000 of loans
please enter 5000). [Capture number, do not require response – validate numeric value entered, no
negative numbers.]
31. Have you ever had a private student loan?
a. Yes
b. No [Skip to Q36]
c. I don’t know [Skip to Q36]
32. [IF Q31=a] Approximately how much do you owe on your private loan? Please enter a dollar amount with no
spaces, commas or dollar signs (for example, if you have $5,000 of loans please enter 5000). [Capture number, do
not require response – validate numeric value entered, no negative numbers]
33. [IF Q31=a] What best describes the status of your private loan(s)?
a. Presently making payments on time
b. Loan is in Deferment/forbearance
c. Loan is Delinquent (I am behind on my payments)
d. Loan is Defaulted/in Collections
e. Paid-in-full
f. Cancelled/discharged
g. Refinanced
34.
[IF Q31=a] In managing payments on your federal and private student loans, how do you prioritize paying
these loans?
a. I pay my private loans before I pay my federal loans
b. I pay my federal loans before I pay my private loans
c. I pay both my federal and private loans at the same time
d. Other (please specify)
35. [IF Q31=a] What do you take into consideration when deciding how to prioritize paying your federal and private
loans?
[Capture verbatim comments]

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36. When you first enrolled in school, you may have had an idea of how much you expected to borrow in student
loans. Now that you are finished, did you end up borrowing more or less than you initially anticipated? [For choices
“a” through “e” please order them like below for half of the survey respondents and for the other half with
the reverse order for choices “a” through “e” – meaning starting with “e” for “A lot less”, “d” for “Less”,
“c”, “b”, and “a”, etc.]
a. A lot more
b. More
c. About what I expected
d. Less
e. A lot less
f. I’m not sure yet because I plan to continue my education
g. I don’t know
37. If you could go through the process of financing your education all over again, would you take the same actions
or make a change?
a. Take the same actions
b. Make a change
c. I don’t know/not sure
38. [IF Q37=b]What change(s) would you make? (check all that apply)
a. Borrow less
b. Go to a less expensive school
c. I would not borrow
d. Obtain a scholarship
e. Not pursue additional education
f. Not borrow private student loans
g. Understand the federal loan programs better
h. Other (please specify)
39. What is your current employment status?
a. Employed part-time
b. Employed full-time
c. Internship (unpaid)
d. Not employed, looking for work
e. Not employed, not looking for work
f. Other (please specify)
40. What is your approximate annual income (before taxes)? Please enter a number with no spaces, commas or dollar signs
(for example, if your income is $20,000 per year, enter 20000). [Capture number, do not require response
– validate numeric value entered, no negative numbers]
41. Is there anything the U.S. Department of Education could do to improve the information or services it
provides on student loans to customers such as yourself? [Capture verbatim comments]
42. In a sentence or two, what could the U.S. Department of Education have done to assist you in staying current
on your loan(s)? [Capture verbatim comments]

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43. Which statement best describes your retirement situation? [Do not require response]
a. I currently contribute towards and save for retirement, and will retire on time
b. I currently contribute towards and save for retirement, and will need to work extra before I can retire
c. Although not currently contributing/saving toward retirement, I have contributed substantially in the past and
will retire on time
d. Although not currently contributing/saving toward retirement, and will need to work extra before I can retire
e. I have never contributed/saved for retirement
f. I am currently retired
g. I prefer not to say
h. Other (please specify)
44. What is your 5-digit zip code? [Capture 5-digit numerical zip code, do not require response – validate
numeric value entered, no negative numbers]

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