Year-End Student Loan Checkup: What to Fix Before January 1

December isn’t just the end of the year—it’s one of the most financially important moments to pause, reset, and plan ahead. Between holiday spending, insurance renewals, tax decisions, and monthly bills, the choices you make now can directly affect how manageable your student loan payments feel in the coming year. 

A year-end student loan checkup helps ensure your repayment strategy matches your real life, not just what looked good on paper months ago. 

Take a Look at the Full Budget Picture 

As the holidays wrap up, many households see temporary spending turn into lingering balances. Add to that childcare costs, rent increases, or insurance premium changes, and your monthly cash flow may look very different in January than it did last summer. 

Understanding what you truly owe each month helps ensure your repayment plan remains realistic and sustainable. 

Consider Insurance and Benefits Changes 

Many borrowers adjust health insurance, flexible spending accounts, and other benefits around year-end open enrollment periods. These changes can affect: 

• Monthly take-home pay 

• Household expenses 

• Financial priorities entering the new year 

  
  

Understand How You’ll File Your Taxes 

How you file your taxes, and whose income is included, can directly impact income-driven repayment eligibility and potential forgiveness timelines. 

Before January: 

• Consider whether you’ll file jointly or separately 

• Review income changes from the past year 

• Understand how tax choices may affect future payment calculations 

Planning ahead can prevent surprises when repayment plans recertify. 

Upload an Updated NSLDS File 

Your NSLDS file provides a complete snapshot of your federal loan history. Uploading it allows Student Debt Solutions to review all available repayment, forgiveness, and relief options to ensure recommendations reflect your full financial picture. 

Confirm Your Repayment Plan and Loan Records 

Servicer transitions and system errors continue to create confusion. Review your current repayment plan, payment history, and loan details to ensure everything is accurate, especially before annual updates roll in. 

January tends to bring tighter budgets, new bills, and less flexibility. Reviewing your student loans now allows you to address issues proactively and approach the new year with confidence instead of uncertainty. 

Log into Student Debt Solutions to review your full repayment picture and build a plan that supports your long-term goals.

Financial Snapshot

💰 Monthly Finances

☐ Account for post-holiday expenses

☐ Review recurring bills and new monthly obligations

🏥 Benefits & Insurance

☐ Review health insurance or benefit changes

☐ Understand impact on take-home pay

🧮 Tax Planning

☐ Decide how you plan to file your taxes

☐ Understand how filing status affects repayment & forgiveness

Student Loan Readiness

📄 Loan Records

☐ Check loan balances and servicer information

☐ Review payment history for errors or missed payments

📂 NSLDS File

☐ Upload your most recent NSLDS file

🧾 Repayment Plan

☐ Confirm your current repayment plan

☐ Make sure your payment aligns with your updated budget

🧠 Expert Review

☐ Identify if expert guidance could help clarify next steps