Millions of delinquent student loan borrowers are facing potential wage garnishment by the federal government soon, and most say they’ll put off credit card and personal loan payments to prevent smaller paychecks.

According to a new survey from TransUnion credit bureau , the threat of involuntary collections by the Department of Education is causing a "potential shake-up in the traditional payment hierarchy," meaning many borrowers who are behind will have to prioritize which bills to pay – and not pay – if they don’t want their wages garnished.

When will student loan wage garnishment begin?

What we know:

In May, the Department of Education announced that tax refunds and wages could be withheld starting this summer if borrowers in default don’t take steps to restart payments.

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