This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans starting May 5, 2025, ending a pause that began in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Education Department announced it is restarting the collection of payments on defaulted student loans. Here’s what to know about the decision and how borrowers can protect themselves.

The U.S. Department of Education plans to resume collecting defaulted student loans on May 5 after a yearslong pause that began with the pandemic.