Borrowers ages 50 to 61 have the highest average balance of any age group at $48,203, according to federal data.

While some routes to loan discharges have been blocked or delayed in 2025, the Department of Education has still granted borrowers billions of dollars in forgiveness.

With two new repayment plans and the impending end of the Saving for a Valuable Education plan, here are all the things borrowers need to know for 2026.

In 2020, the federal government paused collections efforts on defaulted federal student loans, part of pandemic relief efforts. While Congress said payments would start again in 2023, the pause ...