Student Debt

New data show that the average student debt for college graduates continues to climb but at a slower pace. Nationally, about two in three (65 percent) college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2018 had student loan debt. These borrowers owed an average of $29,200, 2 percent higher than the 2017 average.

New data show that the average student debt for college graduates continues to climb but at a slower pace. Nationally, about two in three (65 percent) college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2018 had student loan debt. These borrowers owed an average of $29,200, 2 percent higher than the 2017 average.

This brief reviews the details of major proposals from policy makers and policy organizations to streamline and reform income-driven repayment of federal student loans. The brief identifies encouraging consensus on a number of important details, as well as some areas of remaining divergence.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the first income-driven repayment (IDR) plan being made available for federal student loan borrowers. Over eight million borrowers currently benefit from IDR plans, which base monthly payments on an individual’s income and family size. By keeping monthly payments more affordable, IDR is a critical safety net for struggling borrowers that...

Summarizes loan limits, interest rates, and other terms for federal student loans issued from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

While borrowing for college costs remains worthwhile for millions of students, millions also struggle in repayment. Each year, over a million borrowers face the most devastating outcome, default.