Nearly one in three federal student loan borrowers are at risk of defaulting on payments as early as July, as delinquency and default rates soar in the wake of pandemic-era repayment relief ending.
About 5.8 million federal student loan borrowers – roughly 31% – were 90 days or more past due on their payments as of April 2025, according to a new analysis from TransUnion.
Borrowers fall into default once they are 270 days past due. Based on current trends, approximately 1.8 million borrowers could reach default status in July 2025, making them subject to wage garnishment and other collection actions by the US Department of Education.
In May, the government resumed collecting on defaulted student loans after a five-year pause starting during the pandemic.
We want to hear from federal student loan borrowers. Have you fallen behind on payments? Are you at risk of delinquency or default? What has caused you to fall behind, and do you have concerns about the consequences?
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