About Us

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The Institute of Student Loan Advisors Corporation (TISLA) was founded to ensure that all student loan borrowers have access to free, neutral and clear student loan advice and dispute resolution assistance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit who believes that these borrowers have a right to a trusted resource with industry experience to mentor, educate and advocate for them. Student loan borrowers have a right to such a resource without being charged a fee, barraged with advertisements or forced to provide personal information that may later be sold.

Our goal is to help you help yourself. We are not here to manage your student loans for you, but to give you expert advice and help you to manage them successfully. We will offer fair, neutral advice that outlines what you are eligible for that is in line with current regulation and statute.

What We Can Do For You

  • Offer expert advice on your student loans
  • Help you decide which repayment plan make the most sense for you
  • Determine if you are eligible for loan forgiveness or discharge
  • Offer guidance in any dispute you may have regarding your student loans
  • Guide you through completing required forms and applications
  • Help you get out of a default or delinquency status

What We Cannot Do For you

  • Offer legal advice
  • Offer opinions on a particular company or servicer
  • Fill out or submit your forms for you
  • Pay your loans
  • Change the law or regulations
  • Manage your loan accounts for you

Testimonials

A few comments from the anonymous survey we provide to consumers we have worked with:

“I submitted an email with questions and received a thorough response right away that had specific recommendations for stepsister could take. Very helpful. So glad I discovered this resource!”
“Betsy replied quickly to my emails with helpful insights into my personal situation.”
“TISLA showed me where to prioritize my efforts”
“Amazing and eased my mind. Not sure why I didn’t know about your help before but so glad I found you. Now I can start to sleep at night.”
“TISLA has given me more comprehensive information compared to the loan servicer. It help me in planning ahead and pay my loans.”
“Betsy was so helpful and knowledgeable and I so appreciate that there is someone out there willing to take time to help people navigate what can be a confusing and often frustrating process with student loan forgiveness – thank you”
“I’m fairly informed about my student loans and the PSLF program, but I had one small, highly-technical issue for which I couldn’t get a good answer. TISLA quickly understood my situation, took it to key decision-makers I could never access alone, kept me apprised along the way, and gave me a final report with my options. It did all this within two weeks for a question I’d had for more than five years. I simply can’t recommend TISLA’s services highly enough.”
“This service is invaluable to me. Navigating student loan repayment options for income driven plans and public student loan forgiveness is beyond challenging. Betsy is able to give me professional guidance that helps me make better decisions for my financial future.”
“There was no service like this in my area that was free. I’m so happy that this is a resource that I could use for free and Betsy was so quick to respond to all of my emails.”
“I asked my school for help, I asked my bank for help, I asked financial advisors for help and no one was able to give me assistance with my personal student loan situation for free. I’m very thankful that this exists and I was able to find this in my search for help.”
“Betsy was awesome helping me understand my loan situation and how it all works”
“The quick response you gave was stellar.”
“It’s very helpful to have a resource for questions because the loans are overwhelming. Thank you.”
“I am military member who requested information from your site for my widowed mother whose only income is social security. I am extremely grateful to have this resource to assist me in navigating the complex world of student loans. The assistance I received was prompt, concise, and of superior quality.”
“I made an inquiry to Betsy. She responded quickly and immediately made me feel less stress about the current status of my loans. Her knowledge of knowing the process was helpful. It made me feel so great to know someone is out there learning about the tribulations caused by student loans and helping people navigate them.
“Betsy helped me transform confusion, fear, and paralysis into action, by providing vital information, context, and a road map of options that made it possible to make the needed decisions, all compassionately delivered. Thank you!”

From James D. August 1, 2018

“I am very happy that I found freestudentloanadvice.org. I was very frustrated with trying to solve my student loan issues on my own and Betsy was such a great help with advice and follow up. Thank you so much!”

How We Are Funded

At the core of TISLA’s values is the promise of free, neutral and transparent student loan advice. For that reason, we do not accept advertising funds from any businesses nor fees from consumers. TISLA is funded through grants, donations and our fee for service products we offer to employers, schools and associations with constituencies concerned with student debt.   Such donations and partnerships will be listed on this page to ensure continued transparency. If you are interested in helping to fund TISLA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org or donate through donorbox online.

TISLA 2018 Annual Report

Partner with Us

TISLA offers several affordable and customizable packages to suit your constituencies needs for expert student loan repayment education and assistance.  These offerings are suitable for employers looking to attract and retain valuable employees or schools who wish to provide student loan assistance to their alumni, students and employees.  Our services can also be a way for associations to provide additional value to their members.  Please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org for more information on partnering with TISLA.

Our Leadership

TISLA is currently completing its board roster. If you, or someone you know, has a passion for the issue of student debt, can contribute their business, non-profit or other expertise and influence, and would like to consider serving, please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org

Our Mission

To make certain that all student loan borrowers have access to free, neutral and accurate resources and mentoring to ensure they can successfully manage their student loan debt.

Our Values

  • Accuracy
  • Clarity
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism
  • Approachable
  • Respect
  • Neutrality
  • Transparency
  • To be of service to others