Most student loans — about 92.4% — are owned by the government. Total federal student loan borrowers: 42.7 million. Total outstanding federal student loan debt: $1.64 trillion.
Adults with a postgraduate degree are especially likely to have a large amount of student loan debt. About a quarter of these advanced degree holders who borrowed (26%) owed $100,000 or more in 2023, compared with 9% of all borrowers. Overall, only 1% of all U.S. adults owed at least $100,000.
The total student loan debt is $1.7 trillion, and federal debt alone exceeds $1.6 trillion; households in higher income brackets are more likely to hold high amounts of debt.
The report concludes that majority of student loan debt is held in households that have higher earnings and a graduate degree. The highest-income 40% of households (those with incomes above $74,000) owe almost 60% of student loan debt.
Billionaire Robert F. Smith pledged to pay off student loans for every member of Morehouse College's graduating class. The Ivy League-educated business leader made his fortune investing in software firms and other tech companies.
The Qualtrics/Intuit Credit Karma report found 20 percent of borrowers hadn't made any payments on their loans.
Who has the most student loan debt by race? Black adults are more likely to have student loan debt than those in other racial or ethnic groups. They are more likely than white adults to hold student debt at every level of educational attainment.
Out of the multiple countries we examined, the United Kingdom and the United States hold the record for the highest average student loan debt. In England, students graduate with an average student loan debt of over $54,000, while in the U.S. students have an average of $28,400 at graduation.
You're not alone if you are still paying off your student loans from your college education years ago. In fact, many Americans are paying their student loans well into middle age. A 2019 study from New York Life found that the average age when people finally pay off their student loans for good is 45.
How student loans affect your credit score. Student loans are a type of installment loan, similar to a car loan, personal loan, or mortgage. They are part of your credit report, and can impact your payment history, length of your credit history and credit mix. Paying on time could help your score.
On average, people with student loans have spent just over 21 years paying back their loans. Federal student loans offer repayment plans that last from 10 to 30 years. Private student loan repayment terms vary.
Overall, 32 percent of students have no responsibility in paying for college, while 39 percent pay for some of it, and 29 percent are responsible for all of it.
Credible takeaways. Graduate students can borrow as much as $20,500 per year in federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with a lifetime limit of $138,500, including undergraduate loans. Federal graduate PLUS loans provide financing beyond Direct Unsubsidized Loans but they require a credit check.
By the numbers: Borrowers between 35 and 49 years old owe the most in federal student loans, according to Federal Student Aid data. Details: Women typically borrow more for college than men, according to NerdWallet, a personal finance company.
Whether your family is rich, poor, or somewhere in between, you can take advantage of student loans provided by the US government. These loans (known as Federal Loans, Direct Loans or Stafford Loans) offer lower rates and more flexible payback options than you can find from almost any other source.
Cancelling student loan debt may reduce unemployment by adding up to 1.5 million new jobs. Federal student loans represent 90.8% of all student loan debt, public and privately held ($1.77 trillion total).
According to a recent Forbes Advisor and Talker Research survey of 2,000 adults, one in three respondents said they regret using student loans to finance their education and would not choose that route again if given the opportunity.
Average Student Loan Payments
As of May 30, 2023, the average monthly payment for federal student loans was estimated to be about $500 per month when adjusted for inflation. However, the final number depends on the type of loan, loan amount, interest rates, and repayment plan.
According to Experian, average total consumer household debt in 2023 is $104,215. That's up 11% from 2020, when average total consumer debt was $92,727.
Robert Smith, the billionaire who went viral last year for paying off the debt of students at Morehouse College, admitted to an illegal scheme to conceal income and evade taxes by using offshore trusts and bank accounts for 15 years.
Estimated net worth: $170.3 billion
After dropping out of two different colleges, Larry Ellison moved to Berkeley, Calif., where he picked up basic computer skills at various jobs.
One year ago, Robert Smith, the wealthiest African-American, stunned the nation by pledging to pay off the student loans of the 2019 class of Morehouse College. While giving his commencement speech at the graduation ceremony of the historically black all-male college, Smith also issued a challenge.