Depending on your need, there are different types of account authorizations you can choose to apply to your profile. At Earnest, we allow you to add a Third-Party Authorization and/or Power of Attorney to your account. Please read below to learn more about each option and which one would be best for you.
Third-Party Authorization
A third party may be an individual or company that you designate to receive information regarding your Earnest account or application. For our team to confirm information about your account to a third party over the phone, you need to be present on the call. If you'd like the third party to be able to speak with us when you are unavailable, we require that we have a completed third-party authorization form on file.
We're unable to provide the form at the request of third parties themselves, but you may request the form by contacting our Client Happiness team. We'll send an email to your account email address containing a link to the form. Once you've completed and submitted it, we'll be able to speak with your third party. It’s important to note, we will only authorize information sharing over the phone. This means we are unable to add a third-party email to your account, and will not divulge account information via chat.
Finally, a third party may only receive specific account or application information or make a payment via their own payment account. Our team will never provide information regarding your email, mailing address, or banking information; therefore, third parties have no ability to modify your personal account, payment information, or loan status. For information on making a payment towards an Earnest student loan as a third party, click here.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney is a legally binding, written document that grants authority to an Attorney-in-Fact to act on behalf of you. This option is most often utilized when the account holder is temporarily or permanently ill or disabled, or if they are not physically present to manage their account (ie., active-duty military service). Unless specified on the Power of Attorney form, the Attorney-in-Fact has the ability to perform any action without limitation, including signing loan documents or modifying account information.
Our team will not furnish the power of attorney documents and we recommend you consult with an attorney licensed in your state should you have any questions about a power of attorney, as requirements vary from state to state. If you have account access, you may upload your form by logging in to the Earnest account, clicking your name in the right-hand corner, selecting “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu. From there, you can drag and drop or browse your folders to upload the appropriate file. If you do not have access to the account, please contact us by using the "Get In Touch" button found below this article.
