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Borrowings - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) |  |  |  | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jul. 21, 2016 | May 26, 2016 | Feb. 25, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 19, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term borrowings |  |  |  | $ 350,000,000 | $ 500,175,000 |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans (in years) |  |  |  | 6 years | 6 years 2 months 12 days |
Uncommitted federal funds |  |  |  | $ 100,000,000 |  |
Lendable value of collateral |  |  |  | 2,500,000,000 | $ 1,700,000,000 |
ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term borrowings |  |  |  | 350,000,000 | $ 500,175,000 |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  | $ 428,700,000 |  |
Contractual maturity |  |  |  | 2 years |  |
Contractual maturity term, revolving period |  |  |  | 1 year |  |
Contractual maturity term, amortization period |  |  |  | 1 year |  |
ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Private asset backed commercial paper education loan funding facility |  |  | $ 750,000,000.0 |  |  | $ 750,000,000.0
Ownership interest percentage in loan facility |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00%
Required ownership interest |  |  |  |  |  | $ 37,500,000
Funds available for Private Education Loan originations |  |  |  |  |  | $ 712,500,000
Financing cost percentage of unused borrowing capacity |  |  |  |  | 0.40% |
Ownership interest percentage |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |
Private Education Loans |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Total loan amount securitized at inception for the 2016 on-balance sheet term securitization | $ 657,000,000 | $ 551,000,000 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from loan securitization sold to third parties | $ 607,000,000 | $ 501,000,000 |  |  |  |
Class B Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |
Amount of ownership interest in loan securitization | $ 50,000,000 | $ 50,000,000 |  |  |  |
Residual Certificates |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |
Class A Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount of loan securitization sold to third parties | $ 607,000,000 | $ 501,000,000 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from loan securitization sold to third parties | $ 607,000,000 | $ 501,000,000 |  |  |  |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans (in years) | 4 years 3 days | 4 years 3 days |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans Issuance 2016-A |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  | $ 571,000,000 |  |
Private Education Loans Issuance 2016-B |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  | $ 692,000,000 |  |
LIBOR | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate |  |  | 1.00% |  | 0.80% |
LIBOR | Class A Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate | 1.36% | 1.38% |  |  |  |
Minimum | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Financing cost percentage of unused borrowing capacity |  |  | 0.35% |  |  |
Maximum | ABCP borrowings | Commercial Paper |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Financing cost percentage of unused borrowing capacity |  |  | 0.45% |  |  |

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