The Education Department announced plans to begin garnishing wages of borrowers in default, signaling a major shift in federal student‑loan collections that will affect millions of alumni and current students. Notices will go to roughly 1,000 borrowers the week of Jan. 7 and expand thereafter; garnishment follows the end of pandemic-era pauses and prior administrative collection freezes. Student‑advocacy groups warned the move could deepen financial strain on graduates and complicate institutions’ alumni relations and financial‑aid counseling; higher education leaders may face increased demand for emergency aid, reentry support and intensified financial‑literacy programs.