Student loans in the United States

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Student loans in the U.S.
Regulatory framework
Expected Family Contribution
Distribution channels
Federal Direct Student Loan Program
Federal Family Education Loan Program
Loan products
Perkins · Stafford
PLUS · Consolidation Loans
Private student loans
Debt in the United States

In the United States,

financial aid intended to help students access higher education. In 2018, 70 percent of higher education graduates had used loans to cover some or all of their expenses.[1] With notable exceptions, student loans must be repaid, in contrast to other forms of financial aid such as scholarships, which are not repaid, and grants, which rarely have to be repaid. Student loans may be discharged through bankruptcy, but this is difficult.[2] Research shows that access to student loans increases credit-constrained students' degree completion, later-life earnings, and student loan repayment while having no impact on overall debt.[3]

Student loan debt has proliferated since 2006, totaling $1.73 trillion by July 2021. In 2019, students who borrowed to complete a bachelor's degree had about $30,000 of debt upon graduation.[4]: 1 [5] Almost half of all loans are for graduate school, typically in much higher amounts.[4]: 1 [5] Loan amounts vary widely based on race, social class, age, institution type, and degree sought. As of 2017, student debt constituted the largest non-mortgage liability for US households.[6] Research indicates that increasing borrowing limits drives tuition increases.[7]

Student loan defaults are disproportionately common in the

for-profit college sector.[8] Around 2010, about 10 percent of college students attended for-profit colleges, but almost 40 percent of all defaults on federal student loans were to for-profit attendees.[9] The schools whose students have the highest amount of debt are University of Phoenix, Walden University, Nova Southeastern University, Capella University, and Strayer University.[10] Except for Nova Southeastern, they are all for-profit. In 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that the 12-year student loan default rate for for-profit colleges was 52 percent.[11]

The default rate for borrowers who do not complete their degree is three times the rate for those who did.[4]: 1 A Brookings Institution study from 2023 revealed that when the government pauses repayment on student loans, it most often "...benefit[s] affluent borrowers the most..." primarily due to affluent borrowers holding the largest student debt balances.[12][13]

History

Federal student loans were first offered in 1958 under the

Sputnik satellite.[15] It addressed the widespread perception that the United States had fallen behind in science and technology. Student loans became more broadly available in the 1960s under the Higher Education Act of 1965, with the goal of encouraging greater social mobility and equal opportunity.[16][17]

In 1967, the publicly owned Bank of North Dakota made the first federally-insured student loan.[18][19]

The US first major government loan program was the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), formed in 1973.[20][clarification needed]

Before 2010, federal loans included:

  • loans originated and funded directly by the Department of Education (DOE)
  • government guaranteed loans originated and funded by private investors.

Direct-to-consumer private loans were the fastest-growing segment of education finance. The "percentage of undergraduates obtaining private loans from 2003–04 to 2007–08 rose from 5 percent to 14 percent" and was under legislative scrutiny due to the lack of school certification.[21][22]

2010s

The rules for disability discharge underwent major changes as a result of the

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. The regulations took effect July 1, 2010.[23] In June 2010, the amount of student loan debt held by Americans exceeded the amount of credit card debt held by Americans.[24] At that time, student loan debt totalled at least $830 billion, of which approximately 80% was federal and 20% was private. By the fourth quarter of 2015, total outstanding student loans owned and securitized had surpassed $1.3 trillion.[25]

Guaranteed loans were eliminated in 2010 through the

Obama administration claimed that guaranteed loans benefited private companies at taxpayer expense but did not reduce student costs.[16][17]

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA) ended private-sector lending under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) starting July 1, 2010; all subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and Consolidation loans are under the Federal Direct Loan Program.[22]

As of July 1, 2013, borrowers determined to be disabled by the

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 established that debt discharged due to the death or disability of the borrower was no longer treated as taxable income.[27] (This provision is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2025.)[28]

In an effort to improve the student loan market,

Credible, about 8 million borrowers could qualify for refinancing.[31]

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's February 2017 Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit reported 11.2% of aggregate student loan debt was 90 or more days delinquent.[32]

On July 25, 2018, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued an order declaring that the Borrower Defense Program (enacted in November 2016),[33] would be replaced with a stricter repayment policy, effective July 1, 2019.[34] When a school closes for fraud before conferring degrees, students would have to prove that they were financially harmed.[35] As of 2018, 10% of borrowers were in default after three years and 16 percent after five years.[8]

In 2019, President Donald Trump ordered loan forgiveness for permanently disabled veterans, saving 25,000 veterans an average of $30,000 each.[36] The same year, Theresa Sweet and other student loan debtors filed a claim against the US Department of Education, arguing that they had been defrauded by their colleges. The debtors filed under a rule known as Borrower Defense to Repayment.[37]

2020s

Starting in March 2020, federal student loan borrowers received temporary relief from student loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.[38] This relief was subsequently extended multiple times, and is set to expire at the end of June 2023.[39] According to repayment data released by the Education Department, in December 2021, just 1.2 percent of borrowers were continuing to pay down their loans during the over two years of optional deferment.[40]

In 2021, student loan servicers began dropping out of the federal student loan business, including

FedLoan Servicing on July 8, Granite State Management and Resources on July 20, and Navient on September 28.[41] According to Sallie Mae, as of 2021, 1 in 8 families lenders are using private student loans when federal financing doesn't cover all college costs.[42]

In July 2021, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that private student loans are dischargeable in bankruptcy,[43] following two other cases.[44]

In August 2021, the

Biden administration announced it would use executive action to cancel $5.8 billion in student loans held by 323,000 people who are permanently disabled.[45]

In November 2022, federal judge William Alsup ruled for immediate relief for about 200,000 student debtors and in April 2023 US Supreme Justice Elena Kagan declined to grant emergency relief to three for-profit colleges.[46]

In the 30 years from 1991–1992 to 2021–2022, private college tuitions (adjusted for inflation) doubled, while public school tuitions increased by 2.5 times.[47] In 1991–1992, state and local governments covered about three-quarters of the cost of public college, with tuition paying for the remaining quarter, but by 2021–2022, significant funding cuts to higher education resulted in governments only covering about half the current costs.[47] In addition, since federal student loans do not limit the amount a lender can borrow, this has allowed public as well as private colleges to increase their tuitions.[47]

In February 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska concerning President Biden's order to cancel student loan debt for an estimated 40 million debtors.[48][49] In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Nebraska to block Biden's plan to forgive federal student loans.[50]

Overview

Student loan debt rose from $480.1 billion (3.5% GDP) in Q1 2006 to $1,683 billion (7.8% GDP) in Q1 2020.

Student loans play a significant role in U.S. higher education.[51] Nearly 20 million Americans attend college each year, of whom close to 12 million – or 60% – borrow annually to help cover costs.[52] As of 2021, approximately 45 million Americans held student debt, with an average balance of approximately $30,000.[53]

In Europe, higher education receives more government funding, making student loans less common.

UNAM in Mexico – and government programs under which students can borrow money are uncommon.[54]

In the United States, college is funded by government grants, scholarships, loans. The primary grant program is

Student loans come in several varieties, but are basically either federal loans

Federal student loans are subsidized for undergraduates only. Subsidized loans generally defer payments and interest until some period (usually six months) after the student has left school.[56] Some states have their own loan programs, as do some colleges.[57] In almost all cases, these student loans have better conditions than private loans.[58]

Student loans may be used for college-related expenses, including tuition, room and board, books, computers, and transportation.

Demographics

Approximately 30% of all college students do not borrow.[1] In 2019, the average undergraduate who had taken on debt had a loan balance of about $30,000 upon graduation. Almost half of the student loans are for graduate education, and those loan amounts are typically much higher.[4]: 1 [5]

Social class

According to the Saint Louis Federal Reserve Bank, "existing racial wealth disparities and soaring higher education costs may replicate racial wealth disparities across generations by driving racial disparities in student loan debt load and repayment."[59]

Low-income students often prefer grants and scholarships over loans because of their difficulty repaying them. In 2004, 88.5% of Pell Grant recipients who had bachelor's degrees graduated with student loan debt. After college, students struggle to break into a higher income bracket because of the loans they owe. Though, it's been shown that when it comes to student loan forgiveness and advocacy around this issue, lower-socioeconomic groups are the ones most motivated to contact their legislators about student loans. In 1995, 64 percent of students whose family incomes falling below $35,000 were contacting their legislators concerning student loans.[60]

Race and gender

According to the

New York Times, "recent black graduates of four-year colleges owe, on average, $7,400 more than their white peers. Four years after graduation, they still owe an average of $53,000, almost twice as much as whites."[61]

According to an analysis by Demos, 12 years after entering college:

  • White men paid off 44 percent of their student-loan balance
  • White women paid off 28 percent
  • Black men saw their balances grow 11 percent
  • Black women saw their loan balances grow 13 percent[62]

Age

According to a CNBC analysis, the highest student debt balances are carried by adults aged 25–49, with the lowest debt loads held by those aged 62 and older.[63]

As of 2021, approximately 7.8 million Americans from 18 to 25 carry student loan debt, with an average balance of almost $15,000.[64] For adults between the ages of 35 and 49, the average individual balance owed exceeded $42,000. The average debt for adults between 50 and 61 is slightly lower. These balances include loans for their education and their children.[65]

Federal loans

Loans to students

Stafford and Perkins loans were federal loans made to students.[66]
These loans did not consider credit history (most students have no credit history); approval was automatic if the student met program requirements. Nearly all students are eligible to receive federal loans.

Payment and discharge

The student makes no payments while enrolled at least half-time. If a student drops below half time or graduates, a six-month deferment begins. If the student returns to least half-time status, the loans are again deferred, but a second episode no longer qualifies and repayment must begin. All Perkins loans and some undergraduate Stafford loans are subsidized. Loan amounts are limited.

Many deferment and forbearance options are offered in the Federal Direct Student Loan program.[67]

Disabled borrowers have the possibility of discharge.[68][69] Other discharge provisions are available for teachers in specific critical subjects or in a school that has more than 30% of its students on reduced-price lunch. They qualify for discharge of Stafford, Perkins, and Federal Family Education Loan Program loans up to $77,500.[70]

Any person employed full-time by a 501(c)(3) non-profit group, or another qualifying public service organization, or serving in a full-time AmeriCorps or Peace Corps position,[71] qualifies for discharge after 120 qualifying payments.[72][73] However, loan discharge is considered taxable income.[74] Loans discharged that were not the result of long-term public service employment constitute taxable income.

Student loan borrowers may have their existing federal student loan debt removed if they can prove that their school misled them. The program is called Borrower Defense to Repayment or Borrower Defense.[75]

Subsidies are conditional depending on financial need. Pricing and loan limits are determined by Congress. Undergraduates typically receive lower interest rates, while graduate students typically can borrow more. Disregarding risk has been criticized as contributing to inefficiency.[16] Financial needs may vary from school to school. The government covers interest charges while the student is in college. For example, those who borrow $10,000 during college owe $10,000 upon graduation.[citation needed]

Terms

Loans are guaranteed by DOE, either directly or through guarantee agencies[clarification needed].

The dependent undergraduate limits are $5,500 per year for freshman undergraduates, $6,500 for sophomore undergraduates, and $7,500 per year for junior and senior undergraduates, as well as students enrolled in

teacher certification or coursework preparatory for graduate programs.[76]

For independent undergraduates, the limits are $9,500 per year for freshmen, $10,500 for sophomores, and $12,500 per year for juniors and seniors, as well as students enrolled in teacher certification or preparatory coursework for graduate programs.

Unsubsidized loans are also guaranteed, but interest accrues during study.[77] Nearly all students are eligible for these loans regardless of financial need.[78] Those who borrow $10,000 during college owe $10,000 plus interest upon graduation. Accrued interest is added to the loan amount, and the borrower makes payments on the total. Students can make payments while studying.

Graduate students have higher limits: $8,500 for subsidized Stafford and $12,500 (varying by course of study) for unsubsidized Stafford. For graduate students, the Perkins limit is $6,000 per year.

Stafford loan aggregate limits

Stafford borrowers cannot exceed aggregate limits for subsidized and unsubsidized loans. For dependent undergraduates, the aggregate limit is $57,500, while subsidized loans are limited to $23,000.[79] Students who reach the maximum in subsidized loans may (based on grade level—undergraduate, graduate/professional, etc.) add a loan of less than or equal to the amount they would have been eligible for in subsidized loans. Once aggregate limits are met, the student is ineligible for additional Stafford loans until they pay back a portion of the borrowed funds. A student who has paid back some of these amounts regains eligibility up to the aggregate limits as before. Graduate students have a lifetime aggregate loan limit of $138,500.

Debt statistics

  • Direct loans ($1.15 trillion, 34.2 million borrowers)
  • FFEL loans ($281.8 billion, 13.5 million borrowers). The program ended in 2010.
  • Perkins loans ($7.1 billion, 2.3 million borrowers). The program ended in 2018.
  • Total ($1.4392 trillion, 42.9 million borrowers)

Loans to parents