Question: what happens if you don't pay your student loans and leave the country?
Answer: Overseas or at home, if you don't pay back your loans, it'll harm your credit report and scores. After all, payment history comprises 35% of your credit score, according to FICO. When your lender reports your loan as delinquent or, worse, in default, the mark could stay on your U.S. credit report for up to seven years.