Lender
A student loan lender provides loan funds for the Federal Stafford loan program. Some lenders will service (handle correspondence for) your loan while you are in school, while others will sell and transfer your loan to another "holder" (a secondary market).

Guaranty Agency
This organization administers the Federal Stafford loan program on behalf of the federal government. The guaranty agency most commonly used at Stark State is Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation.

Servicer
A student loan servicer collects payments, processes deferment and forbearance requests and handles correspondence on behalf of the lender. The servicer of most loans obtained by Stark State students is Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation.

• Great Lakes Customer Service 1-800-377-9095

Secondary Market
It is common practice for some lenders to sell loans to secondary markets. This is because lenders must continually replenish their lending funds. You always will be notified by mail if your loan is sold and you will be given a new address for future loan correspondence.