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Borrowings - Additional (Details) - USD ($) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Feb. 22, 2017 | Oct. 12, 2016 | Jul. 21, 2016 | May 26, 2016 | Feb. 25, 2016 | Jul. 30, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Feb. 08, 2017 | Oct. 27, 2015 | Apr. 23, 2015 | Dec. 19, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount drawn and outstanding under ABCP facility |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | $ 500,175,000 |  |  |  |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 years | 6 years 2 months 6 days |  |  |  |
Discretionary uncommitted federal funds line of credit |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 125,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Lendable value of collateral |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,600,000,000 | $ 1,700,000,000 |  |  |  |
ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount drawn and outstanding under ABCP facility |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | $ 500,175,000 |  |  |  |
Contractual maturity related to ABCP facility |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 years |  |  |  |  |
Revolving period of contractual maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 year |  |  |  |  |
Amortization period of contractual maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 year |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private education loan term accounted for as a secured financing |  | $ 674,000,000 | $ 657,000,000 | $ 551,000,000 |  | $ 714,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans sold to third parties |  |  |  |  |  | 631,000,000 |  |  |  | $ 701,000,000 | $ 738,000,000 |
Gross profit raised from loans sold to third parties |  |  |  |  |  | $ 623,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 627,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Class B Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage on asset-backed financing |  |  | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest amount of securitized or asset backed loan |  |  | $ 50,000,000 | $ 50,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Residual Certificates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage on asset-backed financing |  |  | 100.00% | 100.00% |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans, Class A |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans sold to third parties |  |  | $ 607,000,000 | $ 501,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gross profit raised from loans sold to third parties |  |  | $ 607,000,000 | $ 501,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class A Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans |  |  | 4 years 4 days | 4 years 4 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans, 2016 Term A |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  |  |  |  | 564,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans, 2016 Term B |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 683,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Class A and B Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage on asset-backed financing |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest amount of securitized or asset backed loan |  |  |  |  |  | $ 33,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans |  | 4 years 3 months 7 days |  |  |  | 4 years 9 months 18 days |  |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans, 2016 Term C |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged as collateral |  | $ 689,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Class C Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage on asset-backed financing |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest amount of securitized or asset backed loan |  |  |  |  |  | $ 50,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans sold to third parties |  | $ 674,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gross profit raised from loans sold to third parties |  | $ 673,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Class A Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate |  |  | 1.36% | 1.38% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Class A and B Notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate |  | 1.15% |  |  |  | 1.53% |  |  |  |  |  |
Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private education loan funding |  |  |  |  | $ 750,000,000.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 750,000,000.0
Ownership interest retained in ABCP facility (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00%
Required ownership interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 37,500,000
Funds available to draw |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 712,500,000
Unused borrowing capacity fee (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.40% |  |  |  |
Ownership Interest Percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
Commercial Paper | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate |  |  |  |  | 0.90% |  |  | 0.80% |  |  |  |
Minimum | Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused borrowing capacity fee (as a percent) |  |  |  |  | 0.35% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum | Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused borrowing capacity fee (as a percent) |  |  |  |  | 0.45% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Private Education Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private education loan term accounted for as a secured financing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 772,000,000 |  |  |
Loans sold to third parties |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 772,000,000 |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Residual Certificates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest percentage on asset-backed financing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private education loan funding | $ 750,000,000.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Commercial Paper | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Basis spread on variable rate | 0.90% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Minimum | Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused borrowing capacity fee (as a percent) | 0.35% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Maximum | Commercial Paper | ABCP borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused borrowing capacity fee (as a percent) | 0.45% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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