Chris Farrell: There are about 3.5 million Americans 60 years and older. And they owe more than $125 billion in student loans. And the number of borrowers among this 60-plus age cohort, it's risen sixfold since 2004. In their outstanding debt, it increased 19-fold.
Eventually, they age into one of the fastest growing subsets of student loan borrowers—adults approaching retirement age. Borrowers who still carry debt from their own education well into their senior years often attended low-value programs that did not provide enough support to help them reach graduation.
Your student loans won't be automatically forgiven when you retire.
In December 2020, about 800,000 borrowers aged 62 and older—35 percent of borrowers in this age group—were in default on their federal student loans. These high default rates are strikingly similar to those (37 percent among borrowers 65 and older) reported by the GAO in 2016.
The number of people age 60 and older who still have student loan debt has sextupled since 2004 to 3.5 million, and the amount they owe is up 19-fold to $125 billion. Older Americans with student loan debt take second jobs, delay retirement, are less likely to own their own homes and suffer low credit scores.
Generally, if you are approved for, and currently receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, then you should be automatically identified through an existing data match with the SSA and have any qualifying student debt automatically forgiven.
At what age do student loans get written off? There is no specific age when students get their loans written off in the United States, but federal undergraduate loans are forgiven after 20 years, and federal graduate school loans are forgiven after 25 years.
Since it's a debt owed to the government, if you default on a federal student loan, a portion of your Social Security benefits can be automatically garnished to repay the loan.
Most debt belongs to 25- to 34-year-olds; 35- to 49-year-olds owe the most on average, exceeding 50- to 61-year-olds by 8.0%. 104,800 federal borrowers aged 24 years and younger owe an average $14,599 each for a total of $1.53 billion.
How many are we talking about? Chris Farrell: There are about 3.5 million Americans 60 years and older. And they owe more than $125 billion in student loans. And the number of borrowers among this 60-plus age cohort, it's risen sixfold since 2004.
Over the past 15 years, outstanding student loan balance held by seniors has increased twentyfold. Seniors are increasingly carrying the burden of student loan debt in America, as many enter their golden years saddled with an extra monthly loan payment eating into their retirement savings.
"On average, student loan borrowers in their 60s owed $33,800 in 2017, up 44% from 2010, according to data compiled for The Wall Street Journal by credit-reporting firm TransUnion.
Among people aged 65 to 74, the share with debt rose from 50% in 1989 to 65% in 2022. More older Americans are carrying debt across a broad range of categories: mortgage debt, home equity lines of credit, car loan debt, credit card debt, and student loan debt.
Data Summary. The average federal student loan payment is about $302 for bachelor's and $208 for associate degree-completers. The average monthly repayment for master's degree-holders is about $688.
For example, if you take out a $70,000 student loan and pay it back in 10 years at an APR of 5%, your monthly payment will be $742. But if you pay off a $70,000 student loan in one year at a 14% APR, your monthly payment will be $6,285.
Lenders will report the delinquency to the credit bureaus, which means your credit score will take a hit. Lenders could also sell the debt to a collection agency that decides to sue you in court. You'll also have a harder time getting approved for future credit products with favorable terms.
If you have loans that have been in repayment for more than 20 or 25 years, those loans may immediately qualify for forgiveness. Borrowers who have reached 20 or 25 years (240 or 300 months) worth of payments for IDR forgiveness may see their loans forgiven in Spring 2023.
If the loan is paid in full, the default will remain on your credit report for seven years following the final payment date, but your report will reflect a zero balance. If you rehabilitate your loan, the default will be removed from your credit report.
Beginning in February, certain student loan borrowers who have spent a decade in repayment will get their federal student loan debt forgiven, the Biden administration recently announced. Most borrowers need to make payments for 20 years or 25 years on an income-driven repayment plan before their debt is erased.
The remaining unpaid balance of loans is forgiven after 20 or 25 years. Pay As You Earn (PAYE)—Payments are generally 10% of your discretionary income, but never more than the 10 year Standard repayment plan amount. The remaining unpaid balance of loans is forgiven after 20 years.
By law, Social Security can take retirement and disability benefits to repay student loans in default. Social Security can take up to 15% of a person"s benefits. However, the benefits cannot be reduced below $750 a month or $9,000 a year.
As of May 2023, around 492,000 borrowers have gotten loan forgiveness through TPD discharge. And there are multiple ways to qualify! To get TPD discharge, you must show that you have a disability that severely limits your ability to work, now and in the future. This can be a physical or a mental disability.
Older federal student loan debtors who fall behind on payments may be at risk of having their Social Security checks garnished.