Ashley Dreahn lived in an RV park when she got a default notice. "I just feel like, where is that light at the end of the tunnel now that I thought I had?”

According to an Associated Press analysis, more than 4.2 million people across the country defaulted on student loans between April 2025 and March 2026.

Millions of Americans face student loan defaults after pandemic relief ended. Borrowers like Ashley Dreahn and Barbara Howaniec struggle with rising debt. Changes to…

Ashley Dreahn lived in an RV park when she got a default notice. "I just feel like, where is that light at the end of the tunnel now that I thought I had?”