A surge in defaults on federal student loans has led to nearly 10 million borrowers going into default status, including nearly 20% of loan recipients in Illinois. In the state of Illinois, more than 18% of borrowers are currently in default on their federal student loans, according to data published by the Associated Press. Why a record number of people are in default nowThe U.S. Education Department allowed borrowers to suspend federal student loan payments during the economic tumult of the pandemic. The Trump administration has eliminated the most generous income-driven repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, as part of its overhaul of the federal student loan system. “And why I bring that up is, you know, there’s a lot of misconceptions and tropes about who student loan borrowers are, and who are the ones who are falling behind.”