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Loans Held for Investment - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 | Sep. 30, 2020 | Jun. 30, 2020 | Mar. 31, 2020 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Jul. 01, 2006 | Jun. 30, 2006 | Sep. 30, 1993
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Private loans indexed to LIBOR | 55.00% |  |  |  |  | 55.00% | 58.00% |  |  |  |  |
Tier 1 of government guarantee |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 97.00% |  |
Tier 2 of government guarantee |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 98.00% |
Tier 3 of government guarantee |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00%
Gains on sales of loans, net | $ (247,000) | $ (4,000) | $ (369,000) | $ 238,935,000 |  | $ 238,315,000 | $ 0 | $ 2,060,000 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of loans receivable |  |  |  | 3,100,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from sales of loans held for investment, principal |  |  |  | 2,900,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from sales of loans held for investment, capitalized interest |  |  |  | 199,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from sales of loans held for investment, accrued interest |  |  |  | 12,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from sales of personal loans, principal |  | 697,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from personal loans, accrued interest |  | 7,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan sale reduction to provision |  |  |  |  |  | $ (204,709,000) |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated weighted average life of student loans |  |  |  |  |  | 5 years 4 months 24 days | 5 years 4 months 24 days |  |  |  |  |
Interest rate reduction |  |  |  |  |  | 4.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest rate offered to borrowers facing financial difficulty, period |  |  |  |  |  | 2 years |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans currently in repayment status that were subject to interest rate reductions | 7.80% |  |  |  |  | 7.80% | 7.20% |  |  |  |  |
Period of loans past due that have accrued interest |  |  |  |  |  | 90 days |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans in nonaccrual status |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of loans concentrated in major states | 38.80% |  |  |  |  | 38.80% | 39.40% |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of aggregate outstanding loans held for investment |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases | $ 1,361,723,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 1,361,723,000 | $ 441,912,000 | 341,121,000 | $ 251,475,000 |  |  |
Personal Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan sale reduction to provision |  | $ 43,000,000 |  |  |  | (42,916,000) |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases | 0 |  |  |  |  | 0 | 65,877,000 | $ 62,201,000 | $ 6,628,000 |  |  |
FFELP Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ninety or more days delinquent | 36,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 36,000,000 | 48,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ninety or more days delinquent | 81,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 81,000,000 | 63,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loans pledged to borrower in custody | 3,300,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 3,300,000,000 | 3,400,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases | 1,355,844,000 |  |  |  |  | 1,355,844,000 | $ 374,300,000 |  |  |  |  |
Private Education Loan, Extended Loan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases | $ 1,000,000,000.0 |  |  |  |  | $ 1,000,000,000.0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest rate reduction |  |  |  |  |  | 4.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Increase to life of loan defaults |  |  |  |  |  | 14.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Increase to life of loan defaults |  |  |  |  |  | 4.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Finance Receivable Transferred To Held For Sale [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Split Loans portfolio sales price |  |  |  | $ 43,000,000 | $ 43,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on sales of loans, net |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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