After being told for years to consolidate federal student loans, we are now entering a period during which federal student loan consolidation may be a very big mistake.

Federal Direct Loans are originated by the federal government and don’t come with credit criteria. Federal student loan rates for the 2025-2026 school year range from 6.39% to 8.94%. Consider maxing ...

A Direct Student Loan is another name for a federally issued student loan in the United States. If you borrowed money from the U.S. Department of Education, you likely took out a Direct Loan. Since ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Adam Minsky is an attorney and writer focusing on student loans. The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers in Congress are ...

New federal legislation enacted in July 2025 has introduced significant modifications to the Federal Direct Loan programs. These changes will take effect beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year ...

WSJ Buy Side is The Wall Street Journal’s research and commerce team. Our commerce content is distinct from our newsroom coverage. We earn a commission from some links in our articles. Learn more. New ...

WSJ Buy Side is The Wall Street Journal’s research and commerce team. Our commerce content is distinct from our newsroom coverage. We earn a commission from some links in our articles. Learn more.

A proposed U.S. Department of Education rule could affect federal loan eligibility for programs whose graduates repeatedly ...