Federal debt in arrears smashes through 2019 peak , now $171 billion and climbing…
Middle aged borrowers lead the collapse , average defaulter pushes nearly 40…
Millions walk away from payments in early 2026 , fresh wave of skips hits hard…
Americans are defaulting on their student loan debt at a record pace:
Delinquent federal student loan debt jumped +$12.2 billion in Q1 2026, to $171.4 billion, an all-time high.
This has officially surpassed the $166.8 billion peak recorded in Q4 2019.
At the same time, the… pic.twitter.com/8fJ9BeLMaY
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 17, 2026