How To Access and Download Your Federal Student Loan Data File

Step-by-Step Instructions

Your federal student loan data file (sometimes called your MSD file) lives at studentaid.gov. The download takes about a minute on a desktop and a couple of minutes on a phone. The steps below match the current studentaid.gov layout.

Mac and PC

1. Open your browser and go to studentaid.gov. Click Log In in the upper right corner.
2. Enter the email address or username you registered with studentaid.gov and click Continue. Enter your password and click Log In.
3. Complete two-step verification. StudentAid.gov will send a secure code to your phone or email. Type the code into the box and submit.
4. You will land on your Dashboard. In the green sub-navigation bar near the top, click My Loans.
5. On the My Loans page, look in the upper right corner next to the "Last Updated" date. Click Download My Aid Data.
6. A short disclosure will appear. Click Continue. Your browser will save a file called MyStudentData.txt. That is the file we need.

Tip: take note of where your browser saves downloads so you can find the file when it is time to send it.

iPhone and Android

1. Open your mobile browser and go to studentaid.gov. The Log In link is hidden inside the menu. Tap Menu in the upper right corner, then tap Log In.
2. Enter your email address or username and tap Continue. Enter your password and tap Log In.
3. Complete two-step verification using the secure code sent to your phone or email.
4. You will land on your Dashboard. Tap Menu again, then tap My Loans.
5. On the My Loans page, tap Download My Aid Data near the top.
6. Tap Continue on the disclosure. Your phone will download MyStudentData.txt and show a confirmation that the file is saved.

Sending us the file

Once the file is saved, you have two options. You can open your email app, attach MyStudentData.txt from your downloads folder, and email it to your case worker. Or you can upload the file directly inside the Hope Hero app. Either way works.

Troubleshooting

• If the download button does not respond, try a different browser. Chrome, Safari, and Firefox all work.
• If a chat assistant pops up and covers the download button, close it first.
• Three failed login attempts will lock your account for 30 minutes. If you are not sure about your password, use the "Forgot password" link instead of guessing.

What is in your data file?

The file contains your complete federal loan history including loan status, loan type, school, servicer, and months earned toward forgiveness. Our calculator uses this information to run a loan-by-loan analysis.