The Department of Education announced a surprise pause on plans to garnish wages of defaulted borrowers while it implements sweeping repayment reforms under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Officials said halting administrative wage garnishment and Treasury offsets will allow new income‑driven repayment rules and rehabilitation pathways to take effect. The pause came amid debate: borrower advocates welcomed the move as preventing economically reckless collections, while taxpayer groups criticized it as politically motivated. The agency framed the decision as operational—intended to make collections ‘‘more efficient and fair’’ under the incoming regulatory framework. Financial‑aid offices and compliance teams should prepare for a changing enforcement landscape that may shift collections workflows, reporting demands and servicer relationships later this year.