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. 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 application or account. For our team to provide information about your application or 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 you have a completed, signed third-party authorization form on file.
We're unable to provide the form at the request of the third party themselves, rather the account holder may request the form by contacting our Client Happiness team by using the "Get In Touch" button found at the bottom of this article. We'll send an email to your account email address containing a link to the form. Once you've completed, signed, and submitted the form, we'll be able to speak with your designated 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 application or account 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.
If you would like to revoke authorization to a previously added third party, we require an updated third-party authorization form to be completed, signed, and added to your account. Please contact our Client Happiness team by using the "Get In Touch" button found at the bottom of this article to request another authorization form and select the option “I withdraw permission for this person/entity to access my records.”
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 (i.e., 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 and/or modifying account information.
Our team will not furnish the power of attorney documents. 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 using the following directions:
- Sign in to your Earnest account.
- Click “Documents” from the left-side navigation menu.
- Select “Upload.”
- Drop your file into the box and click "Save Changes" at the bottom. Please note that the maximum file capacity is 10MB.
Since we are not automatically notified when documents are uploaded, please click the “Get In Touch” button at the bottom of this article to send us a quick email to let us know you've uploaded the document.
If you would like to revoke a Power of Attorney, you may do so in accordance with the terms of the Power of Attorney, or by submitting the request in writing and uploading it to your dashboard by following the steps above.
For information regarding Military Service Members please see the article, here.