Student loan default by state

Short answer: Garnishment of wages for defaulted federal student loans follows the same federal rule in every state: generally up to 15% of disposable pay through administrative wage garnishment. To get out of default, use loan rehabilitation or Direct Consolidation. Pick your state for next steps.

Last verified November 5, 2026

Start here: How to get out of default · Wage garnishment: the 15% rule

Browse by state

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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Sources

1. Collections: administrative wage garnishment — studentaid.gov — accessed November 5, 2026
2. 20 U.S.C. 1095a — Wage garnishment requirement (Cornell LII) — accessed November 5, 2026
3. 34 CFR 34 — Administrative wage garnishment (eCFR) — accessed November 5, 2026
4. Getting out of default — studentaid.gov — accessed November 5, 2026
5. Collections on defaulted loans — studentaid.gov — accessed November 5, 2026
6. Default Resolution Group — myeddebt.ed.gov — accessed November 5, 2026
7. Avoiding student aid scams — studentaid.gov — accessed November 5, 2026