(NewsNation) — A new report says that one-fifth of all people with outstanding student loans aren’t making payments. Some say they can’t afford the payments, but many others say they’re holding out for another round of forgiveness by Uncle Sam.
“With Biden’s SAVE plan in limbo, many borrowers face uncertainty as to whether or not they will benefit from lower monthly payments and a clear path to loan forgiveness,” said Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Intuit Credit Karma.
“While it’s great to have hope in potential loan forgiveness, borrowers should not put all their eggs in that basket,” she said, adding that those struggling to make payments should be proactive and reach out to lenders to learn what options are available.
The “Saving on a Valuable Education” plan is currently not in play, thanks to a federal judge’s order preventing the Education Department from offering income-driven repayment plans. In August, the Supreme Court rejected a White House appeal to temporarily reinstate the plan.
Even before the injunction, many who responded to the Credit Karma survey said they were caught in financial limbo. They earn too much to qualify for SAVE, but too little to make consistent student loan payments.
Another troubling finding from the survey: 63% of borrowers who have not been making consistent payments say they are worried about what will happen to their credit scores once their student loan payment history is reported to the credit bureaus next month.
Among the other findings in the survey:
- 38% say they’ve depleted their savings to make student loan payments
- 37% have decreased non-essential spending
- 31% have taken on more work
- 26% have cut back on essentials like food and rent
- 24% have applied for various programs to lower their loan payments
- 21% have postponed major events like buying a home or having children
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Qualtrics on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma between August 3 and August 19. It contacted 1,995 adults ages 18 and older with outstanding student loan debt.