US student loan borrowers in default face wage garnishment in 2026 as Trump administration restarts federal collections
The Trump administration plans to restart federal collection efforts against US student loan borrowers in default, including wage garnishment beginning in 2026. The US Department of Education will start issuing notices in January, with collections scaling up in the following months. The move ends pandemic-era protections that paused enforcement since 2020 and follows earlier steps to withhold tax refunds and other federal payments from borrowers who failed to resume loan repayments.
The Trump administration plans to restart federal collection efforts against US student loan borrowers in default, including wage garnishment beginning in 2026. The US Department of Education will start issuing notices in January, with collections scaling up in the following months. The move ends pandemic-era protections that paused enforcement since 2020 and follows earlier steps to withhold tax refunds and other federal payments from borrowers who failed to resume loan repayments.
