Tens of millions of Americans with federal student loan debt have had a financial reprieve for more than three years as a pandemic-era repayment pause was extended multiple times since March 2020.
Now many face a new reality on Sunday, Oct. 1, when they are due to resume making payments, all while struggling with nagging inflation and rising interest rates.
More than 45 million borrowers together owe approximately $1.6 trillion, according to President Joe Biden’s administration, which tried to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of eligible borrowers, only to have the Supreme Court kill the program in June.
Almost everyone I talk to about this has the same idea: “I’m not gonna pay that, they proved they don’t need the money, it’s inflated anyways etc”
I agree with them
The situation is shameful, but it’s wishful thinking that such actions will end in any other way than interest accruing, making the inevitable repayment even more expensive and difficult. The system is set up so you can’t run away from it.
All I have to do is last to death.
Yeah I don’t think these people saying they won’t don’t realize that this can end up at wage garnishment.
Up to 15-25% of disposable pay depending on the loan (federal or private).
Student loans are pretty much the worst type of loan you can have. They can garnish your wages, they can sue you, they can take any tax refunds and social security benefits you might eventually be paid and there isn’t really a way to make them disappear.
The inability to get out of them and enforcement mechanisms make “not paying” a bad plan if you’re staying in the country. IBR and riding it out until it’s forgiven seems better, even though it’s shitty.
I have some left and have no plans to pay. Let them sue me. I want them to take me to court, hire a lawyer, spend a week, and deal with collections for the few thousand they claim I owe.
They will find a way to destroy your credit on case you had any hope of purchasing anything with a mortgage \ loan in the next 7 years
Don’t worry, the insane cost of rent has already prevented most of us from being able to buy a house in the next seven years.
You can’t kill what is already dead. I keep emergency funds around, enough that I could buy a brand new economy car at any time. Have a single credit card with a 5,000 dollar limit and charge a cup of coffee on it once a month to verify it still works.
Debt is evil.
Assuming you are employed, they will just garnish your wages. They don’t have to sue for it, federal loans don’t even need a court order to do it. Private loans do, but they are also able to take more money out of your check.
Which I can appeal and if it really came down to it I can switch over to an independent contractor in about a week. But it won’t come down to it because before that happens I will just setup a 5 dollar monthly payment.