The U.S. Department of Education will restart collections on federal student loans in default beginning May 5, ending a pause that began in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic[1][2][3][4].

In an announcement this week, the department warned that millions of borrowers could be referred to debt collectors and see deductions from their paychecks.

The federal government will come after defaulted student loan borrowers’ tax refunds, federal pension and wages if those borrowers don’t find a way to start paying again, the White House said Tuesday.