More student loan borrowers are falling behind on payments than ever before. The Biden-era SAVE plan is dead. Collections are moving from one federal agency to another. New loan limits will take effect this summer.

Carol Trone can barely keep up with all of the student loan news, and she’s the executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt, a nonprofit that helps borrowers.

 “I check headlines every day,” she said. “These are crazy times.”

Wisconsin has about 720,000 borrowers who hold $24 billion in federal student loan debt, according to the latest federal education data. Nearly 125,000 of them are in default, including more than 50,000 who are newly in default as of last year.

Many have questions about repayment, loan consolidation and more.

“You’re not alone,” Trone said. “The stories we hear are of frustration, confusion, loan servicers changing – it’s a lot.”

Trone encouraged borrowers to contact the coalition’s free, confidential helpline. She also broke down some of the biggest changes for 2026:

More borrowers in default

Student loan payments were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments resumed in 2023, but borrowers did not face credit damage or default during a yearlong “on-ramp” period. That ended Sept. 30, 2024.

A borrower is considered delinquent when they haven’t made a payment in 30 days. They are in default when they haven’t made a payment in 270 days, though it may take two additional payment cycles to be reflected on credit reports.

More borrowers are falling behind on their payments. Nearly 8 million borrowers had defaulted on $181 billion in federal student loans by the end of last year, according to U.S. Education Department data. Another 3 million loan recipients were at least three months late on their payments.

It’s the highest combined rate of serious delinquency and default since the government began its data reporting system nearly a decade ago, the New York Times reported.

Biden’s SAVE plan is dead

Former President Joe Biden first proposed canceling up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year. After the U.S. Supreme Court knocked it down, he launched a new program that promised a lower monthly bill and a shorter path to loan forgiveness than other repayment plans.

About 135,000 Wisconsin borrowers enrolled in Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education plan, also referred to as SAVE, Trone said. But several legal challenges have effectively killed the program.

SAVE borrowers need to apply to a different repayment plan, the federal education department said March 27. In July, loan servicers will begin notifying borrowers they have 90 days to switch plans or automatically be placed in the standard plan.

The new repayment options will be far less borrower-friendly, Trone said. A family of four making $84,000 would have paid $36 per month on the SAVE plan. That could jump to $440 per month.

The federal student aid website includes a loan calculator tool to get a sense of how much payments will increase and which plan will lead to the lowest payments.

Borrowers seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness face more complications

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers a path for borrowers who work in public service – such as teaching, nursing and policing – to have their debt erased after 10 years on the job.

The Trump administration is trying to change the program’s rules. The federal education department said that, beginning July 1, it would deny loan forgiveness to workers whose government or nonprofit employers engage in activities with a “substantial illegal purpose.” It could include organizations, for example, that work with undocumented immigrants or provide gender-affirming care to children.

MADISON, Wis. – A three-judge panel in Wisconsin on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters that sought to redraw the battleground state’s Republican-friendly congressional boundary lines ahead of the November midterm election.

The decision can be appealed to the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court, but it’s unclear whether it could rule in time to affect the election this year. There is a second lawsuit pending that also seeks to redraw the state’s congressional districts, but it isn’t slated to go to trial until April 2027.

Both lawsuits were filed as President Donald Trump wages a national redistricting battle in an effort to preserve the Republicans’ slim House majority in November.

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Judge panel’s decision

What they’re saying:

The three-judge panel said in its ruling that it has “no basis to find the current congressional map invalid.” The case must be dismissed, the judges said, because only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can determine whether the maps should be redrawn.

But in dismissing the lawsuit, the panel made clear that it was “not endorsing the current congressional map.”

“Rather, we, as circuit court judges, do not have the authority to read into a Wisconsin Supreme Court case an analysis that it does not contain,” the judges ruled.

Wisconsin Capitol, Madison

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However, the judges said they “stand ready” to engage in any fact-finding the state Supreme Court might order later.

Republicans praised the ruling.

“This is a significant win for Republicans and a yet another blow to desperate Democrats who wanted to reshape the electoral landscape,” said Zach Bannon, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “By keeping Wisconsin’s current district lines in place for 2026, Republicans are in a strong position to build on our momentum to retain and grow our House majority.”

Lawsuit over maps

The backstory:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court in November ordered that the redistricting cases be first heard by the three-judge panel over objections from Republicans. It marked the first time that process has been used under a 2011 law enacted by Republicans.

The lawsuit that was dismissed argued that the current maps discriminate against Democrats. They do so by packing a substantial number of Democrats into two districts while breaking up other Democratic areas into six Republican-favorable districts, the lawsuit argued. They also argued that the Wisconsin Supreme Court violated the constitutional separation of powers provision when adopting the most recent map.

In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive.

The current congressional maps, which were based on the ones drawn in 2010, were approved by the state Supreme Court when it was controlled by conservative judges. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block the maps from taking effect.

Election outlook

Big picture view:

A top target for Democrats is the western Wisconsin seat held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a vocal Trump supporter. He won in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired. Van Orden won reelection in the 3rd District in 2024.

The other seat Democrats hope to make more competitive is southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st District, which Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has held since 2019. The latest maps made that district more competitive while still favoring Republicans.

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What’s next:

The dismissed lawsuit was brought on behalf of 11 voters by Elias Law Group. Attorneys with the liberal law firm did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment. Attorneys for Wisconsin’s six Republican members of Congress who sought the dismissal had no immediate comment.

The lawsuit scheduled to go to trial next year was brought by a bipartisan coalition of business leaders. There is also a pending motion to dismiss that case.

The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy argues in its lawsuit that Wisconsin’s congressional maps are unconstitutional because they are an anti-competitive gerrymander. The lawsuit notes that the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts since the maps were enacted is close to 30 percentage points.

As part of a spring tradition in southeastern Wisconsin, free learn-to-fish clinics for youth will be held April 18 at eight public sites in Milwaukee and Washington counties.

The events, offered free for children ages 15 and under, are staffed by members of local fishing clubs and presented by the Milwaukee and Washington county parks departments, the Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations and the Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Additional free clinics will be held in similar formats April 25 and June 27 at private clubs in Waukesha County.

The programs are part of campaign started about 40 years ago to get Wisconsin youth outdoors and teach fishing basics.

“These free, family-oriented clinics are designed to introduce beginners to fishing while helping established anglers sharpen their skills ahead of the open water season,” the DNR said in a statement.

The clinics will feature hands-on sessions on knot-tying, water safety, fish identification and fishing techniques as well as casting games, painting and tattoos, according to the DNR.

The lakes, ponds or lagoons at host sites are stocked with panfish or trout before the clinics.

Fishing equipment is available, but participants are encouraged to bring a rod and reel if possible.

No preregistration is required. The instructional sessions typically last about 1 hour and will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 18.

Milwaukee County locations hosting clinics are: Brown Deer Park, 7835 N. Green Bay Road; Dineen Park, 6901 W. Vienna St.; Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124 St.; Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St.; McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland Ave.; Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd.; Scout Lake Park, 6201 W. Loomis Road; and Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Drive.

And in Washington County, a clinic will be held Saturday at Regner Park, 800 N. Main St., West Bend.

Clinics will occur rain or shine, so participants are encouraged to dress for the weather. Adults are also encouraged to inquire about joining a club to expand their knowledge and help with future clinics.

The clinics are held on formally designated urban waters and are reserved by state statute for youth ages 15 and younger and people with certain disabilities. 

Along with DNR staff, members of the following clubs and organizations will provide angling instruction at the clinics: Okauchee Fishing Club; Inner City Sportsmen Club; Milwaukee Great Lakes Sports Fishermen; Southside Sportsmen’s Club; Bayview Rod & Gun Club; South Milwaukee 1400 Fishing & Hunting Club; and Walleyes Unlimited.

In addition, two private clubs in Waukesha County will offer free fishing clinics later in spring and summer.

Wern Valley Hunting Preserve and Sporting Clays will hold clinics April 25 at a pond on its grounds. The events will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The club is located at S36 W29657 Wern Way, Waukesha.

And on June 27, Daniel Boone Conservation League will hold free fishing clinics at its pond. The clinics will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The club is located at 4694 Hwy. 167, Hubertus.