A video headline published by Atlanta News First on October 5, 2026, says nearly 40% of student loan borrowers are behind. But the visible video page does not identify the statistic’s source, date, numerator, or denominator, so the percentage cannot be treated as a verified rate for all borrowers. What is clear is that “behind” can describe very different stages—from one day past due to default—and those distinctions matter for both the numbers and what a borrower should do.
What is known about the nearly 40% claim?
The Atlanta News First video page uses the headline “Nearly 40% of student loan borrowers are behind,” but does not show how the figure was calculated. Without its source and denominator, it is not possible to tell which borrowers were counted, what “behind” meant, or when the figure applied. Treat it as an attributed headline claim, not an independently verified current national rate. Source
A separate Senate hearing statement gives related but different figures. On June 3, 2025, Senator Shelley Moore Capito said, “And only 38 percent of borrowers are actually in repayment and current on their student loans.” She also said one in four borrowers was in default or late-stage delinquency as of early May. The cited passage does not identify the underlying statistical source or denominator, so those statements do not establish the basis of the 2026 headline. Senate hearing transcript
What does “behind” mean for a federal student loan?
There is no single threshold behind every student-loan statistic. Federal Student Aid’s consumer guidance treats a federal loan as delinquent the day after a missed payment. A servicer generally reports delinquency to credit bureaus once a borrower is at least 90 days past due; a delinquent federal loan generally enters default after 270 days without payment. These are separate stages, not interchangeable terms. Federal Student Aid: delinquency and default
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The Department of Education also uses a different threshold for portfolio accounting: in its FY 2024 annual report, a Direct Loan is “Current” if no more than 30 days have elapsed after the due date without payment, and “Delinquent” if more than 30 days have elapsed. That reporting definition does not replace the consumer-facing definition, which begins the day after a missed payment. The report also tracks default separately. Department of Education FY 2024 annual report
What do the available borrower figures actually show?
Official figures are useful only when their date, population, status threshold, and counting method are clear. One dated benchmark comes from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): its analysis reported 9.7 million past-due borrowers as of January 31, 2024, out of 33.2 million borrower-status records. The records are not unique people across mutually exclusive categories; borrowers with loans in different statuses can appear in more than one category. GAO analysis
The same GAO snapshot reported that 13.3 million borrowers—about 40%—were current in repayment with scheduled payments greater than $0 as of January 31, 2024. Another 4.5 million, or 14%, were current with scheduled payments of $0 on income-driven repayment plans. These are measures of borrowers current under those categories, not evidence that nearly 40% were behind. GAO analysis
Federal Student Aid’s portfolio center publishes quarterly reports, including a June 2026 report, with breakdowns by loan and delinquency status. The published page’s text view does not expose the chart values, so it does not by itself establish the percentage behind in the 2026 headline. The portfolio reporting covers Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans, and Perkins Loans with outstanding balances. Federal Student Aid portfolio reports
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When comparing any reported rates, check the date, which federal loan population is included, the delinquency threshold, whether the unit is people, loans, or balances, and whether categories overlap. A rate based on late-stage delinquency or default cannot be compared directly with one that counts anyone who missed a payment by a day.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if you may be behind on a federal loan
Check your loan-by-loan status before deciding what to do. Your loans may not all have the same status, and options depend on the loan and your circumstances.
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- Review your account: Sign in to your StudentAid.gov dashboard and open your loan details to check each federal loan’s status. Federal Student Aid account guidance
- If a loan is delinquent but not in default: Contact its servicer promptly to ask about repayment options or temporary relief that may apply to your situation. Federal Student Aid’s general guidance is not a determination of eligibility for any individual loan. Federal Student Aid: delinquency and default
- If a loan is in default: Review Federal Student Aid’s default guidance and confirm available resolution routes with the appropriate source. Rehabilitation may be available for eligible defaulted loans; eligibility and terms depend on the specific loans and borrower. Federal Student Aid default guidance
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