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Do you have student debt, but no degree? Are you in default? Tell us

Hanna Barczyk for NPR

More than 41 million people have outstanding federal student loans, totaling more than $1.5 trillion. But not all borrowers have the same experience.

For a start, more than a third of borrowers have an outstanding balance of $10,000 or less.

Second, about 20% of borrowers are in default. When you get older, you can even lose part of your Social Security. More than 1 million loans go into default each year.

Finally, research shows that those hit hardest by student loan debt never finished college.

We want to know about your experience and how your debt or your default status has affected your life. If any of this sounds familiar, please let us know via the form below — we may contact you for a story.

Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Elissa Nadworny reports on all things college for NPR, following big stories like unprecedented enrollment declines, college affordability, the student debt crisis and workforce training. During the 2020-2021 academic year, she traveled to dozens of campuses to document what it was like to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Her work has won several awards including a 2020 Gracie Award for a story about student parents in college, a 2018 James Beard Award for a story about the Chinese-American population in the Mississippi Delta and a 2017 Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in innovation.