The Department of Education announced an indefinite pause on involuntary debt collection—including administrative wage garnishment and Treasury offsets—citing pending implementation of broad student‑loan repayment reforms under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said the pause will allow new rules, which streamline income‑driven repayment and offer rehabilitation chances to defaulted borrowers, to take effect before collections resume. Advocates praised the move as protection for struggling borrowers; taxpayer and watchdog groups called it a political concession. The department had warned defaulted borrowers in early January that garnishment from paychecks would resume, making the reversal abrupt for institutions and loan servicers who were preparing for escalated collections. Colleges and financial‑aid officers now face uncertainty about which collection practices will return and when, complicating institutional financial planning and student advising as the new repayment rules are finalized.