{"id":1313542,"date":"2026-01-27T06:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/?p=1313542"},"modified":"2026-01-27T12:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T18:08:37","slug":"wisconsin-student-loan-borrowers-debt-repayment-education-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-student-loan-borrowers-debt-repayment-education-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Student loan borrowers are \u2018confused and overwhelmed.\u2019 Here\u2019s what Wisconsinites should know.","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><b>Reading Time: <\/b><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Click here to read highlights from the story<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The U.S. Department of Education delayed wage garnishment for people whose student loans are in default.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nearly 125,000 Wisconsinites have student loans that are in default.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt offers a toll-free, confidential helpline at (833) 589-0750 and via email at <a href=\"mailto:studentloanquestions@debtsmarts.org\">studentloanquestions@debtsmarts.org<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a tumultuous time for student loan borrowers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following years of waiving payments and penalties after the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education <a href=\"https:\/\/studentloanborrowerassistance.org\/the-department-of-education-is-starting-to-garnish-wages-to-collect-on-student-loan-debt-act-now-to-avoid-collections\/\">announced in December<\/a> it would soon begin garnishing the wages of borrowers who\u2019ve defaulted on their loans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, Jan. 16, department officials reversed course, saying they would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/news\/press-release\/us-department-of-education-delays-involuntary-collections-amid-ongoing-student-loan-repayment-improvements\">wait to start \u201cinvoluntary collections\u201d<\/a> until other changes to the student loan system take effect. They did not specify how long the delay would last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another major student loan change is pending court approval. The agreement, which settles a lawsuit brought by the department, would end the popular Biden-era repayment plan Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE). The plan offered borrowers more flexibility than any other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, other changes to borrowing and repayment programs will reduce the options available to current and future students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 720,000 Wisconsinites hold student loans, according to U.S. Department of Education data analyzed by researchers at the <a href=\"https:\/\/educationdata.org\/student-loan-debt-by-state\">Education Data Initiative<\/a>. Of those, 74,000 were in default as of last September, meaning they hadn\u2019t made a payment in at least 270 days, and the number has likely grown since then. Overall, the state\u2019s borrowers owe around $23.6 billion. What do all these changes mean for them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere have been so many announcements \u2026 The landscape is going to continue to be really confusing,\u201d said Carole Trone, executive director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/debtsmarts.org\/\">Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt<\/a>, which runs a helpline providing free, confidential advice for people who have loans or are considering taking one out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha show-image image-alignleft ts-3 is-1 is-landscape \"\n\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"1313542\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Related Story<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1313549\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-education tag-higher-education tag-news tag-student-loan tag-wisconsin-watch category-pathways-to-success type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-6-tips-for-avoiding-student-loan-debt-default\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"6 tips for avoiding student loan default\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asseCutStudentDebt.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/01\/wisconsin-6-tips-for-avoiding-student-loan-debt-default\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">6 tips for avoiding student loan default<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As student debt makes headlines again, Wisconsin Watch talked to an expert about how to get a degree without borrowing more than you can pay back.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p>\u201cBorrowers often express that they\u2019re confused and overwhelmed,\u201d Trone said. \u201cWhat our organization is thinking of is how we can reach those borrowers and help them work through their confusion and feel confident with the path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The helpline received about 160 calls last year, and it can accommodate far more, Trone said. For privacy, staff don\u2019t record any details about the caller or the reason for the person\u2019s call, and they don\u2019t ask for login information for callers\u2019 loan accounts. To reach the helpline toll-free, call (833) 589-0750, or email <a href=\"mailto:studentloanquestions@debtsmarts.org\">studentloanquestions@debtsmarts.org<\/a>. Staffing for the helpline is provided by Ascendium Education Group. Ascendium is a financial supporter of Wisconsin Watch, but is not involved in editorial decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wisconsin Watch spoke to Trone about what borrowers and prospective borrowers need to know right now. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does the helpline work and why was it created?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The helpline was originally set up back in the early days of the pandemic \u2026 When you call the toll-free helpline, you\u2019re going to talk to a live person. These are trained professionals whose work, day in and day out, is working with student loan borrowers, helping them navigate the complicated process and helping them understand what might be confusing that&#8217;s come out in the news or in notices they\u2019ve gotten.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The helpline is not a replacement for talking to your loan servicer (the company where you send payments) or logging in to your account at <a href=\"http:\/\/studentaid.gov\">studentaid.gov<\/a> and seeing what loans are recorded there. But what our helpline is designed to provide is a very accessible, no-wait-time forum where you can ask one-on-one, \u201cHey, I got this notice. What do you think it means?\u201d or \u201cI haven\u2019t been paying. What should I start with doing?\u201d&#8230; It&#8217;s a really good starting point for anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2020, there was this historic payment pause for loans because of the challenges from the pandemic. In Wisconsin, we don\u2019t have a statewide helpline for student loan borrowers. We don\u2019t have an ombudsman, we don\u2019t have a higher ed agency. These are where borrowers in other states can often turn to, so we wanted to be able to provide a resource.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Department of Education has threatened to start garnishing wages. What should borrowers in default know?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This option to garnish wages was around last year. What\u2019s new is that they (took) the next step, which is starting to send letters out to affected borrowers. Policy says you\u2019re supposed to have 30 days notice before (garnishment) happens. The other thing they can do is withhold your tax refund if you\u2019re in default or severely delinquent on your loan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other thing that could be almost as damaging is that your credit score is going to be affected. And just to give you a sense of how really devastating this impact could be, if you did a four-year program and you took out loans for each semester, that\u2019s probably eight semesters minimum, so you\u2019ve got eight loan lines. If you are late in paying, that means you\u2019ve got eight nonpayment reports going to the credit agencies. What was happening even last year was that credit reporting had resumed, and people may not have been aware of it until they went to take out a car loan or a mortgage, and they couldn\u2019t because their credit score tanked maybe 100 or more points.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha is-grid columns-2 colgap-2 show-image image-alignleft ts-2 is-3 is-landscape \"\n\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"1313542\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>more from wisconsin watch<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1310207\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-college tag-higher-education tag-news tag-wisconsin-watch category-pathways-to-success type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/10\/wisconsin-college-affordability-higher-education-cost-tuition-school-study\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Study: Wisconsin trails most states in college affordability\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseUW2025.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/10\/wisconsin-college-affordability-higher-education-cost-tuition-school-study\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Study: Wisconsin trails most states in college affordability<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1309819\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-education tag-fafsa tag-higher-education tag-news tag-student-financial-aid tag-university-of-wisconsin-madison tag-wisconsin-watch category-pathways-to-success type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/10\/wisconsin-university-madison-css-profile-financial-aid-fafsa-student\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"UW-Madison is changing its financial aid process. Here\u2019s what to know.\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/asseMorgridge-Hall-090325-05.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/10\/wisconsin-university-madison-css-profile-financial-aid-fafsa-student\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">UW-Madison is changing its financial aid process. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What can borrowers do if they\u2019re in default?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>First, we know borrowers are feeling a lot of emotional pain over this. If you\u2019re stressed out, if you\u2019re embarrassed, if you\u2019re overwhelmed, sometimes people just can\u2019t move forward on this. I want to encourage people to call our helpline or email us. That is exactly what we are here for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are ways that you can get out of default that are tied to your income levels \u2026 You can start to rehabilitate your loan. You have to request a form from your loan servicer. They\u2019ll need to know your income to be able to set an income-driven repayment amount. And if that amount is too much, you need to let the servicer know that \u2026 Based on your income, that mandatory payment can be as low as $10 a month. The point is to show that you are making on-time, monthly payments for nine months, and that will restore your loan. But you need to be serious when you\u2019re doing that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What advice do you have for borrowers who are currently signed up for the SAVE repayment plan, which is set to end soon?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re in SAVE, you\u2019re still in what they\u2019re calling \u201cadministrative forbearance\u201d because of all this litigation. But as of last August, your loan balance is growing because they resumed collecting interest. If you&#8217;re in the SAVE program and you are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, you should know that while you\u2019re in (administrative forbearance), you\u2019re not making any progress toward the payment count that you need \u2026 There will be a timeline for when people have to move out of the SAVE program, and I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if they have that timeline starting as early as summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to figure out what you can do, you can call our helpline. There is also a really helpful <a href=\"https:\/\/studentaid.gov\/loan-simulator\/\">loan simulator tool<\/a> on the studentaid.gov website. You can say \u201cMy number one priority is to be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness,\u201d or \u201cI want to pay off my loan as fast as possible,\u201d or \u201cI want the lowest possible payment,\u201d and it can give you pretty accurate scenarios of what you can expect your payment amount to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Provisions in last year\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will eliminate some other repayment plans and add some new ones. What should prospective borrowers know?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\"><blockquote><p>The goal is to create fewer programs and fewer options.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal is to create fewer programs and fewer options. In principle, I think everyone would appreciate more simplicity. What has happened is that all these repayment plans have come out of different administrations and regulatory initiatives. Those are now getting caught up in the courts. One thing to know is that Public Service Loan Forgiveness came through Congress (rather than the regulatory process), and that\u2019s why it\u2019s on much firmer ground.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There will be basically one income-based repayment plan, called RAP (Repayment Assistance Plan), and there\u2019s the standard repayment plan. It\u2019s not like on July 1 of this year there\u2019s a light switch and everyone is in RAP. Many of those (existing) plans will continue on the terms those borrowers agreed to. It will be new loans that will start to have only those two options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Starting July 1, there will also be lower limits on how much students and their families can borrow. How do you anticipate that those changes are going to affect students?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We know that in areas like health care or in fields like law, people do (sometimes) borrow more than what these new limits are going to be. And so there\u2019s been a lot of attention now to who\u2019s going to be affected by that. If you\u2019re borrowing more than the $200,000 limit, for instance, to be a medical doctor, what\u2019s that going to mean? \u2026 Colleges and professional schools are concerned that people who are currently in their programs will hit the final year or two years of their programs and not be able to borrow the money to complete their programs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a concern that the contingent of borrowers who don\u2019t have the assets (and) the strong credit ratings to be able to turn to the private loan market won\u2019t have options and therefore won\u2019t pursue these degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What should people know before taking out private student loans?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Private loans have a lot fewer protections than federal loans. They do not have forbearance, so when you take out that loan, repayment pretty much starts as soon as you\u2019ve taken it out. They don\u2019t have income-driven repayment options. If you take out a loan to go to a college and they\u2019ve misrepresented the value of their degrees or what jobs their graduates are getting, there are federal protections that you don\u2019t have with a private loan provider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The big thing related to equity is that if you don\u2019t have a high enough credit rating to qualify for the loan, you\u2019ll be denied. And so, in the worst-case scenario, we\u2019re worried that for these high-cost health care degrees, we will see a lot fewer first-generation, lower-income students going into those professions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A lot is changing now, but what\u2019s a piece of advice that you\u2019ll keep giving?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I think there is justifiable concern about student loan debt, but we are seeing signs that many more students are hesitating or choosing not to pursue postsecondary education because they figure that\u2019s the only way to avoid student loan debt. The challenge with that approach is that the economic studies say most jobs are going to require some kind of postsecondary credential. So we do want to make sure that students and potential borrowers read up and learn about what their programs are going to cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Wisconsin, the average amount of student loan debt that an undergraduate takes on is about $33,000 for someone who completes their degree. So when you hear the stories of huge amounts of debt, those things happen. It\u2019s heartbreaking to see those stories, but it\u2019s not the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This story was corrected to reflect that the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt helpline received about 160 calls last year. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Natalie Yahr reports on pathways to success statewide for Wisconsin Watch, working in partnership with <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opencampus.org\/\"><em>Open Campus<\/em><\/a><em>. Email her at <\/em><a href=\"mailto:nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org\"><em>nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text\" style=\"grid-template-columns:15% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=782%2C646&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1279368 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=782%2C646&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=336%2C278&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=140%2C116&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=768%2C634&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=1536%2C1269&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=2048%2C1692&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=1200%2C991&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=1568%2C1295&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1.png?resize=400%2C330&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/WCIJ_Logo_Stacked_FullColor_RGB-1-782x646.png?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsinwatch.org\/\">Wisconsin Watch<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsinwatch.org\/subscribe\">newsletters<\/a>\u00a0for original stories and our Friday news roundup. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt runs a free, confidential helpline for borrowers and prospective borrowers. Wisconsin Watch spoke to Executive Director Carole Trone about wage garnishment, the end of the popular SAVE repayment plan and how to avoid default.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":531,"featured_media":1313546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-01-27T15:08:38Z","apple_news_api_id":"784a5b67-5614-47d0-95f8-671c9598409f","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-01-27T18:08:41Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AeEpbZ1YUR9CV-GcclZhAnw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"large","newspack_post_subtitle":"The Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt runs a free, confidential helpline for borrowers and prospective borrowers. 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