The US government is collecting student loan payments again, and this is making many Americans' credit scores go down. If people don't pay for 90 days, the companies that handle student loans tell credit companies. This can really hurt their credit score, making it hard or more expensive to get loans for cars, houses, or credit cards. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said that in early 2025, more than 3 million people with student loans saw their scores drop a lot. The US Department of Education stopped federal student loan payments in March 2020 because of the pandemic. They started them again in 2023, giving people one extra year to pay. But, the Trump government started collecting old student loans again at the end of 2024.