Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri

The Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, aka the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, or MOHELA, is one of the largest holders and servicers of student loans nationwide. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, MOHELA’s mission is to “ease the burden of financing higher education in Missouri while providing exceptional student loan services.”

MOHELA is a student loan servicer with more than 30 years of experience working with students and families. It is among the 10 largest student loan servicers. One of MOHELA's primary roles is to help borrowers effectively manage their student loans.

Created in 1981 as a quasi-governmental entity, MOHELA participated in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) for nearly three decades. While fully supporting a portfolio of legacy student loans through FFELP, MOHELA completed steps to become a contractor to service federal student loans. MOHELA received the first not-for-profit (NFP) contract and began servicing student loans owned by the federal government under the U.S. Department of Education Federal Loan Program in October 2011.