Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) were a type of federal student loan program in the United States that helped students pay for their education. These loans were made by private lenders but were guaranteed by the federal government, which meant that if a borrower defaulted, the government would cover the lender's losses. FFEL included various loan types, such as Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans. The FFEL program was discontinued in 2010, and new federal student loans are now issued through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Existing FFEL loans are still in repayment, but borrowers can consolidate them into direct loans for better repayment options.