The student loans on your credit report determine how responsible you are for paying off loans. You cannot remove this factor from your credit report. Credit unions will use your student loan data to assess your eligibility for credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages. However, only good credit scores will help you qualify for these things.
Delinquent and defaulted student loans will reflect on your credit record, bringing your credit score down. Defaulted student loans are not uncommon, considering over a million students enter student loan default every year. As of 2019, [5.2 million borrowers](https://www.fool.com/student-loans/you-wont-believe-how-many-student-loans-are-in-default/#:~:text=As of early 2019%2C there,of consequences as a result.) have defaulted on their federal student loans.
In essence, student loans can either reflect well or poorly on your credit report. If you pay your student loans on time, your credit report should look good. Meanwhile, if you have defaulted on student loans, your credit record may look bad.
This issue will make you want to find ways to remove them from your record. However, you can only dispute your student loan default if you believe there is a mistake on your record. Here are some reasons to dispute your defaulted student loan to correct your credit report potentially.
How To Dispute Student Loan Credit Report
Your student loan provider may have mistakenly reported your student loan status to any three major credit agencies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. You can request a free copy of your credit report from each company to keep track of your record.
The primary reason why your student loan provider may have defaulted on your student loans and reported it to the credit bureau is that they have outdated information. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows any borrower to appeal the accuracy of the information that student loan servicers report to the credit bureaus.
See if the following cases apply to you and then follow the steps to dispute your student loan default:
- Currently Studying: Your student loan provider may have incorrect records regarding your school attendance. You can contact your school registrar for your attendance record and then provide a copy for your student loan provider. Then, you can request that the student loan servicer report your correct attendance record to the credit bureaus.
- Current on Payments: Your student loan servicer may have missing records on your payments. You can request a statement of all your payments and compare them with your bank records to see if any payment is missing. Once you provide the accurate records to your student loan servicer, they can report the correct data to the credit bureaus.
- Approved for Deferment or Forbearance: Your student loan servicer may have overlooked the deferment or forbearance dates that you have on your account. You can request your student loan provider to review your account so they can confirm the start and end dates of your deferment or forbearance. You should also have a file on hand, so if the dates don’t match, you can provide the correct documentation so your servicer can accurately report your account to the credit bureaus.
Conclusion: Can Student Loans Be Removed From a Credit Report?
You cannot remove your student loan data from your credit report. It is a standard element that the credit bureau uses to determine your credit score. If you have been paying your monthly dues responsibly, then your credit report should look good. However, if you have delinquent and defaulted student loans, then your record may look bad.
If you believe that your student loans should not have defaulted, then you can dispute your student loan credit report by confirming your data with your student loan servicer. Your student loan provider may have incorrect or incomplete data regarding your account, so be sure to keep track of your student loan status and have your correct payment records ready.
