The U.S. Department of Education has resumed administrative wage garnishments for federal student loan borrowers in default, restarting a collections tool that could affect millions. Officials and debt experts say borrowers in default—defined as 270 days without a required payment—face garnishments of up to 15% of disposable pay, and the Education Department has begun sending notices as accounts roll back into enforced collections after pandemic-era pauses. Estimates put roughly 5.3 million borrowers in default who could be affected as collections scale; initial waves will target those with long‑standing arrears. Legal and financial advisers warn borrowers that garnishment can proceed without court judgments for federal loans and urged affected individuals to seek repayment plans or rehabilitation options. Higher-education policy analysts say the move will reverberate beyond individual finances: wage garnishments could influence enrollment decisions, repayment policy debates and institutions’ approaches to financial‑aid counselling amid a strained labour market for recent graduates.