For years, colleges have marketed higher education as the safest path to opportunity. But behind the glossy brochures and inspirational slogans, a different reality has taken shape — one where some institutions quietly encourage vulnerable students to borrow more than they can ever repay, creating a cycle of debt that follows families for decades. This…
By —Annie Ma, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. The Trump administration’s announcement marks an…
Some student loan repayment mistakes are made the day you borrow money. By Maryalene LaPonsie | Reviewed by Mark Evitt | Edited by Tracy Stewart | April 17, 2026SaveAdd us onShareMore More Getty Images Steer clear of these common student loan mistakes, both before and after you graduate. Key Takeaways The headlines are dire: 42.7 million borrowers owed…
By Sarah Wood Sarah Wood edits content for Consumer Advice-Education and covers financial aid, student debt, tuition and many other topics related to secondary and postsecondary education. She also edits and manages The Bottom Line, a free newsletter that provides advice to prospective MBA students. Many families are shocked by a college’s sticker price. While the cost of…
By Ayelet Sheffey Millions of student-loan borrowers are falling into default — and the newest wave is older than before. About 3.6 million federal student-loan borrowers defaulted in the past two quarters, after a pandemic-era repayment pause ended and collections began again, according to new data from the New York Federal Reserve. Researchers said the average newly-defaulted…
Tobi Opeyemi Amure May 5, 2026 For decades, the math on graduate school in America worked something like this. You borrowed what you needed, finished the degree, and out-earned the debt over a long career. Washington made that bet possible. The federal government would lend you whatever the school charged, with no credit check, no…
By Richard Fry and Anthony Cilluffo Americans owe about $1.6 trillion in student loans as of June 2024 – 42% more than what they owed a decade earlier. The increase has come as greater shares of young U.S. adults go to college and as the cost of higher education increases. Here are five facts about student loans in America…
Story by David Nadelle Discover an older person at a wooden table using a laptop while holding a phone, with papers, a mug, and pill bottles nearby© RichVintage Student loan debt in America exceeds $1.8 trillion, but most of the 40 million borrowers do not seem to know what would happen to their debt if they died. Although private…
By Amiah Taylor Joe Biden has canceled more student loan debt than any other U.S. president, forgiving $16 billion in federal student loans for targeted groups such as disabled borrowers, and students who were defrauded by their institutions. Since April, Biden has been deliberating widespread student loan forgiveness and has also been considering income caps that would exclude high earners…
