A record number of student loan borrowers have entered default. Here's why

Student loan defaults have reached a record $233 billion, with one in five borrowers now more than nine months behind on their payments. An AP analysis reveals that states with the highest concentrations of defaulted borrowers are primarily located in the South, specifically within Trump states. This surge represents a record number of borrowers entering default, as documented by reports involving the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington during December 2024.