Navigating Federal Student Loans and Proposed Changes

Over five million US borrowers are in default, with their loan 270 days past due. Four million haven't made payments in 90 days. Now, the five-year pause on collections for defaulted student loans ended Monday.

The original pause goes back to a 2020 pandemic-era policy, but it was extended multiple times during the Biden administration.

For those in default, the collection of that debt may mean dipping into paychecks, tax refunds, and social security benefits.

These collections are being restarted weeks after the Department of Education has seen its staff cut by half.

Borrowers are also dealing with glitching and outages on financial aid websites.

We answer your questions about student loans and hear why so many borrowers are considered "seriously delinquent."|

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy