Is The Student Loan Safety Net Unraveling?
We talk about why California’s student loan delinquency rate is soaring, and how a broken repayment system is pushing borrowers deeper into financial distress.
November 4, 2025
54 min
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3,069 of 3,393
November 4, 2025
Is The Student Loan Safety Net Unraveling?
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Is The Student Loan Safety Net Unraveling?
Summary
More than 350,000 Californians are now behind on their student loan payments – the highest delinquency rate for any type of debt in over two decades, according to the California Policy Lab. Experts say the missed payments are a symptom of a financial safety net that was already broken before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted loan payments and is now further unraveling as borrowers face higher bills, fewer repayment options, inconsistent eligibility for loan forgiveness, and a very confusing system. We talk to a researcher tracking student debt, an advocate fighting on behalf of borrowers in court, and a former government official who has seen the system from the inside. Do you have a student loan? Tell us what you’ve been experiencing.
Guests:
Evan White, executive director, California Policy Lab, University of California-Berkeley
Julie Margetta Morgan, president, The Century Foundation, independent think tank that researches public policy - Morgan served as the associate director of research, monitoring, and regulations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Mike Pierce, executive director and co-founder, Protect Borrowers
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