The federal government has officially resumed garnishing wages and withholding benefits from student loan borrowers after years of legal limbo.
The Trump administration has made several moves to limit repayment options and enforce collections after an extended COVID-era pause. The federal Education Department announced a proposed legal agreement to squash the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan in December 2025, dealing a final blow to the Biden administration's efforts to forgive or reduce the $200 billion burden of repayment on 5 million federal borrowers.
More than 7 million SAVE borrowers have been in administrative forbearance, not requiring payments, since June 2024. Interest on their debt restarted in August 2025 and the administration announced plans to resume wage garnishment on borrowers behind on payments beginning Jan. 7, according to reports.
Here's what to know about who is at risk of having money taken from their paycheck.