Treasury Department takes over federal student loan defaults
WH
Willow Hawthorne
student loan forgiveness ruling · Apr 16, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Defaulted federal student loan borrowers will now be managed by the U.S. Treasury. The Department of Education announced on March 19 that the Treasury Department will take over operations related to all student loan activities in three phases, starting with the collection of defaulted debt.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the Treasury's operational capability and financial expertise will bring financial discipline to the program. The Treasury already manages the Treasury Offset Program, which confiscates tax refunds and Social Security benefits for borrowers in default.
As of December 2025, approximately 7.7 million borrowers with $180 billion in outstanding federal student loans were in default. The Treasury Department will now directly manage the collection process, run the Default Resolution Group, and oversee private collection agencies to return these borrowers to good standing or rehabilitation programs.