Student loans that were taken out before marriage will not be considered a community debt in California. This means that, at the time of divorce, any remaining balance on a pre-marriage student loan will only be assigned to the student spouse upon divorce.
Generally, any remaining balance on a student loan taken out during marriage will also be assigned to the student spouse upon divorce. But there are exceptions.
A court could require a lingering student loan balance to be divided between the spouses if:
The student loan reduced the student spouse's need for spousal support.
The student loan substantially benefitted the community. (For instance, if the loan proceeds were used to pay household expenses or the spouses enjoyed a higher marital standard of living due to the career that followed the student spouse's education).