This is concerning: Currently, 27% of US student loan borrowers in households with an annual income of less than 49,999 are behind on payments. Among families earning between 50,000 and 99,000, 21% are behind. Even in households making over 100,000, 10% are delinquent. Overall, a record 45 million people now hold a federal student loan, and the total student loan balance hit 1.8 trillion in Q1 2025, an all-time high. Among all those required to make payments, 24% are delinquent. The student debt crisis is real.