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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThere is no current, comparable state-by-state ranking of which borrowers are most likely to default after SAVE ended. The best available state list is an estimate of where the most borrowers were in SAVE forbearance—not a forecast of post-SAVE delinquency or default. By that measure, California, Texas and Florida rank first.
What the state ranking does—and does not—measure
The ranking below orders states by estimated borrower count in SAVE forbearance. It is a snapshot built from older state distributions, not a count of borrowers who later missed payments. It also does not establish that a state with more affected borrowers has a higher individual risk of default.
The Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) published the estimates in July 2025 and described its work as a preliminary economic analysis. To estimate borrower counts, it applied state distributions of SAVE enrollees announced in January 2024. For debt estimates, it used state distributions of all income-driven repayment (IDR) balances as of December 31, 2024. Those inputs predate SAVE’s end, so the figures should be read as modeled exposure estimates, not observed post-SAVE outcomes. Read the SBPC analysis and its methodology.
10 states with the largest estimated SAVE-forbearance borrower counts
| Rank | State | Estimated borrowers in SAVE forbearance | Estimated total debt | Estimated annual interest charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 676,436 | $41.31 billion | $2.60 billion |
| 2 | Texas | 670,094 | $34.07 billion | $2.15 billion |
| 3 | Florida | 538,839 | $31.60 billion | $1.99 billion |
| 4 | New York | 423,891 | $25.51 billion | $1.61 billion |
| 5 | Ohio | 339,294 | $17.01 billion | $1.07 billion |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 328,196 | $17.55 billion | $1.11 billion |
| 7 | Georgia | 323,892 | $19.96 billion | $1.26 billion |
| 8 | Illinois | 277,120 | $16.58 billion | $1.04 billion |
| 9 | Michigan | 271,458 | $14.41 billion | $908.05 million |
| 10 | North Carolina | 269,306 | $15.20 billion | $957.44 million |
All figures are SBPC estimates from July 2025; the ordering is by estimated borrower count, not debt or interest charges. The debt and interest figures are statewide estimates, not average amounts per borrower or verified bills. The report’s older distribution assumptions and preliminary methodology limit what the table can show about borrowers’ situations now.
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How this differs from state default-rate reporting
A separate Associated Press analysis of overall federal student-loan default rates—not outcomes among former SAVE borrowers—reported Mississippi had the highest state rate, at 28.3%. It also identified Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas among states near the top. Alaska, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico and Nevada were among the 15 states with the highest rates. These figures describe broader state default patterns and cannot be used to reorder the SAVE exposure list or attribute defaults to the plan’s end. Read the Associated Press analysis.
What changed when SAVE ended
The federal court vacated SAVE on March 10, 2026, according to the Government Accountability Office. Federal Student Aid (FSA) now says SAVE is no longer available. Borrowers enrolled in the plan, as well as people with pending SAVE applications, need to choose another repayment plan and watch for a deadline notice from their servicer. See the GAO report and FSA’s current income-driven repayment FAQ.
National figures show that repayment strain is widespread, but they do not measure SAVE’s effect by state. FSA’s September 22, 2026 update reported that, as of June 2026, more than 9.3 million recipients were in default and approximately 3.5 million recipients with loans in active repayment were more than 30 days delinquent. These are national counts across broader federal-loan populations; they should not be attributed solely to SAVE’s end.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare repayment plans after SAVE
Plan availability and payment calculations depend on factors such as loan type, disbursement date, income and dependents. FSA’s FAQ describes RAP, IBR, ICR and PAYE, but not every borrower qualifies for every plan. The details can change, so check your own account and current eligibility rather than relying on an estimate based on a state average.
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Compare the details that affect your costs
- Eligibility: Check which plans accept your loan types and disbursement dates.
- Monthly payment: Compare the estimated amount using your current income and household information.
- Repayment period: A lower monthly amount can mean paying for longer.
- Total paid: Compare the projected amount over the full repayment period, not just the next bill.
FSA’s FAQ currently describes RAP as generally basing payments on 1–10% of adjusted gross income divided by 12, reducing the payment by $50 per claimed dependent, with a $10 monthly minimum and a 30-year repayment period. Eligibility and the calculation are borrower-specific. The same FAQ says PAYE and ICR are scheduled to end no later than July 1, 2028, another reason to confirm the applicable terms before choosing a plan. Use the official options and calculator linked from FSA’s repayment-plan FAQ to compare your eligibility, payment, term and total projected cost.
Act on your own servicer’s notice
- Sign in to your Federal Student Aid account and review your loan details and repayment status.
- Check messages from your servicer for the deadline and instructions that apply to your account.
- Compare eligible plans using your current financial information, then follow the servicer’s instructions to select a plan.
FSA says applying for an IDR plan is free and that “You never have to pay for help with your federal student loans.”
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