Student Loans Are Emerging From Deep Freeze, and Borrowers Are Confused

Student-loan borrowers are finding out that restarting a $1.6 trillion federal program is much more confusing than switching it off. With pandemic relief ending, borrowers will start owing interest as of Friday. They are learning of new payment schedules, often via email, from servicers they might have never heard of—and could be reluctant to pay. That is because about four-in-10 borrowers’ loans transferred to a new servicer during the pause that began in March 2020, according to government data.