What Is Great Lakes?
Great Lakes Educational Loan Services was a nonprofit federal student loan servicer based in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2018, Nelnet acquired Great Lakes for approximately $150 million. Today, Great Lakes operates under the Nelnet umbrella, though many borrowers still interact with the Great Lakes brand at mygreatlakes.org.
If your servicer is "Great Lakes," your loans are effectively managed by Nelnet. Some borrowers have been transferred to nelnet.com directly.
How to Contact Great Lakes
- Website: mygreatlakes.org
- Phone: 1-800-236-4300
- Hours: Monday–Friday 7 AM–9 PM CT; Saturday 8 AM–2 PM CT
- Parent company (Nelnet): 1-888-486-4722
What 2026 Policy Changes Mean for Great Lakes Borrowers
If you are enrolled in SAVE: Your payments are paused due to the court injunction. Log in to mygreatlakes.org to confirm your status. Administrative forbearance months do not count toward IDR forgiveness.
If you want to switch plans: Great Lakes/Nelnet can process IDR plan changes. You can also apply at studentaid.gov. IBR is fully available.
If you are pursuing PSLF: PSLF is processed by MOHELA. You will need to submit Employer Certification Forms through studentaid.gov and contact MOHELA for your payment count. Great Lakes can confirm your loan eligibility.
Key Actions for Great Lakes Borrowers
- Log in at mygreatlakes.org or nelnet.com to check your current loan status and repayment plan.
- If on SAVE: Consider switching to IBR to resume counting payments toward forgiveness.
- Enroll in autopay for a 0.25% interest rate reduction (this is a Nelnet/Great Lakes benefit).
- Check whether your account is at Great Lakes or Nelnet — some borrowers have been fully migrated to nelnet.com.
Great Lakes vs. Nelnet: What's the Difference?
Since Nelnet acquired Great Lakes, the two operate under a shared platform. Your loans are federally held regardless of which brand you interact with. If you're unsure which portal to use, try both mygreatlakes.org and nelnet.com — you may have access to both, or your account may have been fully migrated to Nelnet.
Common Great Lakes Problems and Solutions
"My Great Lakes login isn't working." If your account was migrated to Nelnet, you'll need to set up a separate Nelnet account. Try nelnet.com first. If you still can't access your account, call the Great Lakes number above.
"I'm receiving letters from both Great Lakes and Nelnet." This can happen during account migrations. Use studentaid.gov to confirm your official current servicer, and update your contact information with whichever servicer is listed there.
"My interest capitalized and my balance went up." Interest may capitalize (get added to principal) when you leave certain forbearance periods or change repayment plans. Ask your servicer to explain when capitalization occurred.