Student loan default in the United States explained

Defaulting on a loan happens when repayments are not made for a certain period of time as defined in the loan's terms of agreement, typically a promissory note. For federal student loans, default requires non-payment for a period of 270 days. For private student loans, default generally occurs after 120 days of non-payment.[1]

In 2021, outstanding student loan debt has reached a record more than $1.8 trillion.[2]

Defaulter demographics

According to analysis of borrowers from the 2003-2004 academic year over a twelve-year period, defaulters generally tend to be older, lower income, and more financially independent than those who did not default. Borrowers typically owe $9,625, which is $8,500 less than the median loan balance of a non-defaulter. The majority of defaulters did not complete their bachelor's degree, but the median completed at least one year of study while maintaining grades in the C+/B- range. This shows that defaulters are able to complete college level work. Furthermore, most borrowers do not immediately enter default - the median borrower takes 33 months to enter default on their federal loans. Generally, a little more than half of all defaulters are able to rehabilitate their debt.[3]

Debt rehabilitation

There are a number of paths to resolving student debt default, including:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Default on student loans. finaid.org.
  2. Web site: Student Loan Debt Clock . finaid.org . US Department of Education . 25 July 2021.
  3. Web site: Who Are Student Loan Defaulters?. Center for American Progress.