The US government is now collecting student loan payments again. This means that many Americans' credit scores are going down. If people do not pay for 90 days, it can really hurt their credit score. This makes it harder to get loans for cars, houses, or credit cards. In early 2025, more than 3 million people with student loans saw their scores drop a lot. The government stopped student loan payments in 2020 because of the pandemic. They started them again in 2023, and people had one year to get ready. The collection of unpaid loans started in late 2024.