Here is what student borrowers should know about involuntary collections ahead of debt collections restarting.

Last night, the 1.8 million-member AFT sued the United States Department of Education (ED) for effectively breaking the student loan system, denying borrowers’ access to affordable loan payments and blocking progress towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), in violation of federal law.

Today, the United States Senate is expected to vote on the nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as the next Secretary of Education. If confirmed, McMahon would be charged with managing a $1.6 trillion dollar student loan portfolio—the equivalent of one of the largest consumer banks in the world. In the last few days alone, the Trump Administration has already sparked unprecedented chaos and confusion for millions of working families with student debt by cutting off access to Income Driven Repayment (IDR) options—a critical economic lifeline providing borrowers with access to more affordable monthly payments. President Trump has also made it clear that McMahon’s first order of business will be to dismantle the Department of Education which will lead to further chaos and disruption for students, borrowers and working families.

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) withdrew its lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), the giant student loan servicer whom the Bureau sued in 2024 for illegally pursuing borrowers for debts that had been discharged in bankruptcy.

Fact sheets shed light on the millions of consumers who have called on the watchdog for help and benefited from its work to rein in predatory and abusive financial institutions.