The following sheets include different data about Federal student loan borrowers in default.

These data runs were done at different times and use different parameters. They ARE NOT directly comparable to 

each other.

Please read the notes carefully and exercise caution in interpreting them.
Borrower Balance Collections

Years Defaulted

Number of 

Borrowers

Original Loan 

Balance

Current Principal 

Balance

Current Interest 

Balance

Current Fee 

Balance

Current Total 

Balance

25th Percentile 

Balance Median Balance

75th Percentile 

Balance

Average (Mean) 

Balance

Made a Vol Pay in 

Last 5 Years

25th Percentile 

Amount Collected 

Last 5 Years

Median Amount 

Collected Last 5 

Years

75th Percentile 

Amount Collected 

Last 5 Years

Average (Mean) 

Amount Collected

Total Dollars 

Collected Last 5 

Years

PCA Fees Paid Last 

5 Years

<1 6,200 $14,957,625 $4,263,745 $0 $0 $4,263,745 $218 $612 $962 $688 3% $0 $0 $0 $30 $184,000 $177,383

1 490,000 $10,422,631,550 $11,522,197,552 $982,737,240 -$282 $12,504,934,510 $5,902 $12,864 $30,576 $25,520 4% $0 $0 $0 $63 $31,113,881 $3,876,342

2 806,000 $16,956,161,281 $18,519,931,637 $2,143,021,860 $72,132 $20,663,025,629 $5,827 $13,635 $32,420 $25,637 10% $0 $0 $67 $432 $348,362,679 $16,133,434

3 622,100 $12,483,027,201 $13,362,540,351 $2,011,892,181 $169,585 $15,374,602,117 $5,782 $13,795 $31,560 $24,714 15% $0 $35 $1,487 $1,340 $833,592,322 $36,856,018

4 583,300 $10,746,475,758 $11,268,366,240 $2,106,094,204 $183,973 $13,374,644,417 $5,338 $12,320 $28,686 $22,929 20% $0 $384 $2,529 $1,934 $1,127,926,472 $64,922,546

5 583,000 $10,110,398,364 $10,713,921,308 $2,523,538,825 $174,579 $13,237,634,712 $5,060 $12,381 $27,856 $22,706 24% $0 $371 $2,646 $2,117 $1,234,049,767 $130,543,883

6 508,000 $7,880,201,596 $8,226,299,538 $2,218,021,769 $276,139 $10,444,597,446 $5,075 $12,066 $25,594 $20,560 21% $0 $55 $1,977 $1,762 $895,163,337 $106,684,937

7 475,600 $6,921,152,422 $7,113,252,149 $2,186,288,550 $298,022 $9,299,838,721 $4,639 $10,979 $22,694 $19,554 16% $0 $0 $1,316 $1,480 $703,692,046 $75,029,747

8 516,600 $7,810,296,417 $8,026,206,940 $2,707,371,623 $244,767 $10,733,823,330 $5,012 $11,770 $24,158 $20,778 14% $0 $0 $1,213 $1,412 $729,259,036 $68,890,239

9 402,900 $5,733,328,678 $5,744,670,105 $2,086,831,738 $198,084 $7,831,699,927 $4,525 $11,085 $23,009 $19,438 12% $0 $0 $940 $1,153 $464,383,109 $40,781,638

10 328,100 $4,964,108,561 $4,869,933,474 $1,823,781,145 -$92,625 $6,693,621,994 $4,338 $10,084 $22,820 $20,401 12% $0 $0 $1,023 $1,294 $424,637,074 $34,821,002

11 273,000 $4,313,836,348 $4,247,952,411 $1,741,910,897 $625,872 $5,990,489,180 $4,659 $10,915 $24,327 $21,943 10% $0 $0 $770 $1,194 $326,025,354 $23,563,686

12 177,100 $2,637,936,914 $2,677,031,840 $1,104,713,332 $23,024 $3,781,768,196 $4,436 $10,462 $24,598 $21,354 9% $0 $0 $626 $1,081 $191,471,656 $14,216,085

13 142,400 $2,133,872,597 $2,158,188,112 $912,593,447 $168,916 $3,070,950,475 $4,080 $10,297 $25,942 $21,566 10% $0 $0 $430 $990 $140,956,643 $14,133,592

14 122,200 $1,963,545,728 $2,002,528,316 $859,395,157 $93,994 $2,862,017,467 $4,002 $10,143 $26,156 $23,421 9% $0 $0 $666 $1,202 $146,865,428 $11,315,047

15 101,700 $1,322,556,945 $1,337,391,671 $654,045,712 $24,214 $1,991,461,597 $2,961 $8,627 $22,784 $19,582 6% $0 $0 $0 $685 $69,647,988 $5,846,347

16 82,600 $1,149,003,697 $1,125,459,924 $580,773,035 $30,140 $1,706,263,099 $3,507 $8,632 $24,162 $20,657 8% $0 $0 $92 $893 $73,730,656 $7,604,411

17 61,600 $845,542,683 $858,500,734 $478,898,209 $36,263 $1,337,435,206 $3,016 $8,659 $22,882 $21,712 6% $0 $0 $47 $687 $42,338,894 $3,475,592

18 59,500 $821,071,076 $857,816,641 $512,939,700 $46,445 $1,370,802,786 $4,241 $11,700 $26,772 $23,039 5% $0 $0 $40 $900 $53,573,190 $4,387,577

19 61,800 $926,694,111 $929,207,523 $627,790,553 $115,477 $1,557,113,553 $4,314 $11,154 $30,269 $25,196 6% $0 $0 $45 $842 $52,008,771 $2,877,645

20+ 964,900 $6,243,330,703 $5,956,442,873 $7,254,535,368 $3,691,545 $13,214,669,786 $4,036 $8,322 $14,943 $13,695 3% $0 $0 $0 $462 $445,975,791 $25,665,833

Notes:

Data is based on a random 1% sample of DMCS portfolio; only borrowers with a net positive balance on DMCS as of June, 2021 are included

Time in default is from 7/1/21 to the earliest default date of any loan on DMCS (so borrowers in the "<3 years" group first defaulted on or after 7/1/18); the earliest defaulted loan for any given borrower may now have a zero balance (i.e., he may owe more recently defaulted loans)

For loans that rehabilitated and then re-defaulted, the time in default dates to the original (earliest) default

For borrowers with consolidation loans, the time in default dates to the original (earliest) default for any loan on DMCS; these may or may not be the underlying loans included in the consolidation

Balances are as of mid-June, 2021

Collections include only payments received at DMCS: voluntary, TOP, AWG and DOJ; they do not include consolidation payoffs or payments made to a prior loan holder

Collection totals exclude the time period of the payment suspension

Collection totals do not net out payments refunded
DMCS borrowers having paid more than their original disbursed amount

By the number of years in default

Based on a borrower's latest year of default Based on a borrower's earliest year of default

Years in default No Yes Total

Percentage Where 

Collections Exceed 

Original Disbursed 

Amt Years in default No Yes Total

Percentage Where 

Collections Exceed 

Original Disbursed 

Amt

<1 year 909,500 17,900 927,400 1.9% <1 year 658,200 11,300 669,500 1.7%

>=1 years but <2 834,300 32,800 867,100 3.8% >=1 years but <2 635,200 22,400 657,600 3.4%

>=2 years but <3 697,800 35,900 733,700 4.9% >=2 years but <3 536,900 24,700 561,600 4.4%

>=3 years but <4 600,100 45,500 645,600 7.0% >=3 years but <4 492,300 36,600 528,900 6.9%

>=4 years but <5 571,900 42,400 614,300 6.9% >=4 years but <5 499,200 37,900 537,100 7.1%

>=5 years but <6 479,800 40,600 520,400 7.8% >=5 years but <6 448,900 35,100 484,000 7.3%

>=6 years but <7 418,600 33,100 451,700 7.3% >=6 years but <7 430,100 31,100 461,200 6.7%

>=7 years but <8 354,600 34,700 389,300 8.9% >=7 years but <8 435,500 36,800 472,300 7.8%

>=8 years but <9 266,700 25,500 292,200 8.7% >=8 years but <9 341,700 27,800 369,500 7.5%

>=9 years but <10 205,700 22,700 228,400 9.9% >=9 years but <10 299,400 26,400 325,800 8.1%

>=10 years but <11 133,600 10,100 143,700 7.0% >=10 years but <11 217,800 14,800 232,600 6.4%

>=11 years but <12 98,300 7,100 105,400 6.7% >=11 years but <12 160,300 9,200 169,500 5.4%

>=12 years but <13 97,600 8,200 105,800 7.8% >=12 years but <13 138,600 8,100 146,700 5.5%

>=13 years but <14 74,100 5,700 79,800 7.1% >=13 years but <14 107,200 7,500 114,700 6.5%

>=14 years but <15 59,200 4,800 64,000 7.5% >=14 years but <15 89,700 5,100 94,800 5.4%

>=15 years but <16 50,800 4,800 55,600 8.6% >=15 years but <16 84,300 5,300 89,600 5.9%

>=16 years but <17 43,100 3,700 46,800 7.9% >=16 years but <17 70,600 5,300 75,900 7.0%

>=17 years but <18 35,600 5,800 41,400 14.0% >=17 years but <18 61,700 6,100 67,800 9.0%

>=18 years but <19 39,100 5,800 44,900 12.9% >=18 years but <19 65,600 6,800 72,400 9.4%

>=19 years but <20 29,800 4,700 34,500 13.6% >=19 years but <20 48,200 6,000 54,200 11.1%

20 years or more 595,700 136,300 732,000 18.6% 20 years or more 772,900 163,800 936,700 17.5%

Total 6,595,900 528,100 7,124,000 7.4% Total 6,594,300 528,100 7,122,400 7.4%

Based on a 1 percent sample of borrowers.

Does not include GA collections or borrower payments made while in a non-default status.

Only includes DMCS loans. Does not include commerical FFEL loans at a GA.

Only includes FFEL and DL on DMCS. Does not include Perkins loans.

Totals are slightly different between the two tables due to how the underlying data resulted in missing values.

Collections include voluntary payments, DOJ, AWG and TOP

Collections Exceed Original Collections Exceed Original 
Total borrowers who have resolved their defaulted loan(s) by paying them (rather than resolving by discharge, rehab, consolidation, etc.) since Sept. 2011

Payment Type Borrowers Voluntary Payments Involuntary Payments Total Payments Avg Paid

Involuntary 861,700 0 3,618,333,326 3,618,333,326 4,199

Mix of Invol & Vol 695,100 1,410,221,237 3,811,269,160 5,221,490,397 7,512

Voluntary 242,500 1,206,401,655 0 1,206,401,655 4,975

Total 1,799,300 2,616,622,892 7,429,602,486 10,046,225,378 5,583

Data is only for the Department's Debt Management and Collection System (DMCS); payment amounts are only payments made to DMCS.

Only includes borrowers who had resolved all of their DMCS loans by payments; some borrowers pay one loan but discharge or rehab another—these borrowers are not counted here

Excludes borrowers if any payment type was unknown.
Characteristics of borrowers in default as of September 2021

No Yes Missing Total

Borrower received a Pell Grant* 2,497,300 5,010,500 7,507,800

Borrower completed 4,821,200 2,319,200 681,700 7,822,100

Borrower is a dependent 4,377,600 1,738,400 7,822,100

Borrower has graduate loans 5,642,500 276,300 7,822,100

*Excludes Parent PLUS borrowers
The chart below shows the ages of defaulted Direct Loan and FFEL borrowers as of December 2020.

Age Borrower Count Percentage 

24 or Younger 217,400 3%

25 to 34 2,273,200 28%

35 to 49 3,122,300 38%

50 to 61 1,777,900 22%

62 and Older 801,500 10%

Not Reported 11,800 0%

8,204,100 100%