'Sick to our stomachs': 5 million borrowers have now defaulted on their student loans — and the government says that number could soon double. Why that can have catastrophic consequences

Arnone and her husband took advantage of the pause on federal student loan payments that began in March 2020. The pause ended in September 2023, however, the previous administration allowed for a one-year grace period to resume payments. Starting in January, past-due accounts were once again being reported to credit bureaus. On May 5, the government resumed collecting defaulted student loan payments.

As a result, on top of taking a hit to their credit scores, millions of borrowers could face wage garnishments, withheld tax refunds and reduced Social Security benefits if loans continue to go unpaid. Here’s what you can do if you find yourself in this boat.

The state of federal student loans and borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released some dismal data in April. More than 5 million student loan borrowers had not made a payment in over a year and were in default. A further 4 million borrowers were in late-stage delinquency — meaning that within a few months, nearly 10 million borrowers could find themselves defaulting on their loans.

The ED also noted that 42.7 million borrowers owed more than $1.6 trillion, and only 38% of them were up to date on their student loan payments.

During his term, President Joe Biden sought student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers, however, many of his initiatives were rejected by the courts. This left many borrowers — who were already struggling with the cost of living — confused and unsure what to do about their payments once the pause was lifted.

“I think some saw the pause as a bit of extra cash, but others saw it as a lifeline — they didn’t know how they were going to make the payments to begin with,” Tara Alderete of Money Management International told KUTV 2 News.

One thing appears certain — student loan borrowers shouldn’t expect any charity under President Donald Trump.

“There will not be any mass loan forgiveness,” the ED said in its April news release.

Borrowers may be subject to collection activities only after receiving “sufficient notice” and opportunity to repay their loans, according to the ED.