Resuming Student Loan Payments and Credit Reporting
It’s been five years since federal student loan payments were reported to credit bureaus, with a 3.5-year payment pause included in that time. Credit reporting of past-due student loans resumed in time to report data for Quarter 1 of 2025. Now that there’s new data to discover, what’s the student loan delinquency landscape look like today?
Similar Student Loan Delinquency Landscapes Before and After the Pandemic
The New York Fed’s newest quarterly report, covering the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, includes the first credit reporting of student loan delinquencies since the COVID pandemic. This report shows that the student loan delinquency rate is nearly the same as it was in Q1 2020: 14.4% of all student loans were 90+ days past due in Q1 2020, compared to 13.7% in Q1 2025. When considering loans that required payments be made, 22.1% of borrowers were past due in Q1 2020, compared to 23.7% in Q1 2025.
Geographical Debt Differences
States with the most past-due student loans (more than 31%) were in the southern United States, with Mississippi the highest at 44.6%. Those with the least (less than 15%) were in the Midwest and northeast United States, with Illinois the lowest at 13.7%.
Over 5.5 Million Borrowers Newly Delinquent
Over 5.5 million borrowers were newly delinquent in Q1 2025. Nearly 2.5 million of those had recently had high credit scores and now experienced falling credit scores of over 100 points due to their newly past-due student loans.
How CBE Supports Student Loan Borrowers
CBE has served colleges and universities for decades and has a wealth of expertise working with student loan borrowers, helping them address their past-due loans and getting their credit back on track. Our highly trained agents are experts at creating positive borrower experiences and communicating with borrowers using compassion and empathy. We offer convenient payment options, including online payments and payment plans, to meet students where they are.