About one out of every ten California student loan borrowers is at least 30 days late on payments following the end of a federal pause on loan payments, according to a new analysis released Wednesday.
The nonpartisan California Policy Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, found that delinquencies surged during the first half of 2025, with the highest rates among older borrowers. Baby boomers and Gen Xers face a 12% delinquency rate, compared to Gen Z's 9.4%, the study said.
Before the COVID pandemic, the state average for student loan delinquencies was 3.7%, while today, the delinquency rate has spiked to 11%, the research showed.
Older borrowers also typically owe more each month, with boomers averaging $101 in payments - triple that of millennials and five times the typical