Blog.
Is It Too Late to Implement a Default Aversion Plan for the FY 2024 Cohort?
No, it's not too late to implement your default aversion plan for the 2024 Cohort. The window closes soon. Many institutions have not had to worry about CDRs over the last five years when payments were paused and delinquent students were placed into administrative...
Student Loan Default Cliff is Here
The student loan default cliff has arrived. For a full year, the Department of Education’s “on-ramp” period shielded borrowers from the harshest consequences of non-payment. However, we have now crossed a critical threshold: the first wave of borrowers who missed...
Student Loan Payments Set to Rise Under OBBBA
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, implements significant, cost-saving changes to the federal student loan system. The provisions, which reduce federal financial aid and the student loan program by nearly $300 billion, create an...
Why College Enrollment is Expected to Decline After 2025—and How Schools Can Prepare
At the start of the year, we wrote about the upcoming "demographic cliff" in higher education. The warning was simple: the decline in birth rates during the 2007-2009 Great Recession will soon catch up to colleges. While some schools are experiencing record...
Student Loan Delinquency, Non-Payment Rates Foretell High CDRs
The looming threat of student loan defaults is here. With less than six weeks until borrowers officially default for the first time in five years, the clock is ticking for colleges to implement default aversion plans and limit their 2024 Cohort Default Rate (CDR). The...
Institutional Non-Payment Rates Cause Concern for Colleges
2025 is an unprecedented year for federal student loans. We’re seeing the largest delinquency rates in history, creating a critical situation for institutions to avoid loss of Title IV due to high Cohort Default Rates. To address the rising delinquency rates, the...
Federal Student Aid Publishes Nonpayment Rates of Institutions
The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Data Center has released a critical new report: non-payment rates by institution. This data reveals that over 1,000 post-secondary institutions have non-payment rates exceeding 30%, placing them at significant...
Federal Student Loan Repayment Changes Coming
Federal student loan repayment will undergo significant changes beginning next year due to the recent passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Additionally, discussions and actions by the current administration indicate a move to restructure or downsize the Department...
Student Loan Borrowers Reach Technical Default for First Time in 5 Years
For the first time in five years, student loan borrowers are reaching the 270-day delinquent point, a status known as "technical default." This is essentially the "final notice" for borrowers before they officially default on their loans....
Student Aid Overhaul: The Senate’s Proposed Changes to House Bill
Just as the House passed its sweeping reconciliation bill, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) has released its own "historic legislation" to reform student aid and higher education. While both chambers address student debt and...