Student Loan Impact Tracker

This guide's court-first rule covers most consumer debts. Federal student loans follow a separate path, so check which rules apply to you:

• Private...

Bankruptcy still doesn't wipe out federal student loans on its own, and California filers need the right timing, paperwork, and strategy.

• File a...

For borrowers in default, administrative wage garnishment can take part of each paycheck without a lawsuit.

• Usual cap is 15%: The amount is the...

Graduate students facing $100,000 and $200,000 federal caps are increasingly filling gaps with private loans. Federal loans previously could cover the...

Three things to check:

• Employer counts, not title: eligibility turns on whether the employer is a qualifying government organization, not your GS...

Even if your deadline has passed, you still have options. Here's what to check:

• Confirm your servicer's plan: Notices gave a 90-day window to...

Federal and private loans follow different collection rules, so identify which one you have first.

• Federal: Wage garnishment and tax refund offsets...

State ombudspersons say federal servicing problems are affecting payment obligations, loan balances, and access to forgiveness. They flagged...

Lawmakers asked Education Secretary Linda McMahon to respond to ombudspersons' concerns by Nov. 18.

• What's covered: Inaccurate payment and balance...

Federal forgiveness routes don't charge application fees, but they do cost time:

• No application fee: PSLF, IDR, and Nurse Corps charge nothing to...

Lawmakers are urging the Education Department to address servicing problems that state ombudspersons say affect borrowers' payment obligations and...

This family earns too much for need-based aid, yet not enough to make college truly affordable. Federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans still left a...

Democratic lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley are pressing the Education Department after reported servicing problems....

The $217.50 floor and 25% cap cover ordinary consumer debt. Don't use them to estimate federal student-loan garnishment.

• Ordinary debt: Garnishment...

New York Attorney General Letitia James urges borrowers to get free, unbiased advice before consolidating, since a new consolidation loan after July...

If you graduated this spring or summer, your grace period is counting down. Federal Direct Loans typically offer six months, so a May graduate's first...

Democrats' midterm wins don't change your loan terms right away. The 2025 changes stay in place until the new Congress takes office on January 3,...

Money owed directly to a college is not a federal student loan, so loan protections mostly don't apply. Practical steps:

• Request validation in...

Under OB3, changing your fall schedule could affect your spring aid. Before you change enrollment, check these points:

• Enrollment intensity: If you...

A Wisconsin man found a loan on his credit report for a college he says he never attended. Police later linked that enrollment to aid checks deposited...