Student Loan Wage Garnishment Calculator
When a federal student loan is in default, the Department of Education can order your employer to withhold part of each paycheck. This is called administrative wage garnishment (AWG). The statute says the amount may not exceed 15 percent of your disposable pay, and the regulations also keep it from taking disposable pay below 30 times the federal minimum wage per week. The amount withheld is the lesser of the two limits. The calculators below estimate the most a wage order can take per paycheck and the separate monthly Social Security offset, and the sections after them quote the notice, hearing and exit rules word for word.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Rules checked against the statutes, regulations and Department of Education announcements on October 28, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Your paycheck
Leave the last field at 0 if there is no such order. Other court-ordered withholding is not subtracted when disposable pay is worked out. Do not enter pre-tax retirement contributions or other voluntary deductions: they are not on the list of amounts required by law.
Wage garnishment calculator: your estimate
- Most that can be withheld per paycheck
- $240.00
- Disposable pay
- $1,600.00
- 15 percent of disposable pay
- $240.00
- Floor: 30 times $7.25 for this pay period
- $435.00
- Disposable pay above the floor
- $1,165.00
- Per year (26 biweekly paychecks; some years have 27)
- $6,240.00
- Take-home after the garnishment
- $1,360.00
The 15 percent limit is the lesser one.
Estimate, not a quote. The floor protection shown here is for this order alone. It shows the most the employer can withhold for the Education order each pay period; the amount in your order can be lower, for example after a hardship decision or an agreement. Take-home is disposable pay less this amount and any earlier-order withholding you entered, before other voluntary deductions. Not legal advice: your notice and your servicer govern.
How much of your pay can be garnished
The statute that lets the Secretary of Education garnish wages sets the percentage limit:
“(1) the amount deducted for any pay period may not exceed 15 percent of disposable pay, except that a greater percentage may be deducted with the written consent of the individual involved;”
The 15 percent limit comes from the statute, 20 U.S.C. 1095a(a)(1), and from Treasury’s wage garnishment rule. The Education Department’s own rule, 34 CFR 34.19(b), does not repeat the percentage; it caps the order at the amount that leaves you 30 times the minimum wage:
“(b) The employer must comply with our garnishment order by withholding the lesser of— (1) The amount directed in the garnishment order; or— (2) The amount specified in 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)(2) (Restriction on Garnishment); that is, the amount by which a debtor's disposable pay exceeds an amount equal to 30 times the minimum wage. (See 29 CFR 870.10.)”
Treasury’s rule puts both limits in one sentence:
“(2)(i) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (i)(3) and (i)(4) of this section, the amount of garnishment shall be the lesser of: (A) The amount indicated on the garnishment order up to 15% of the debtor's disposable pay; or (B) The amount set forth in 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)(2) (Restriction on Garnishment). The amount set forth at 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)(2) is the amount by which a debtor's disposable pay exceeds an amount equivalent to thirty times the minimum wage. See 29 CFR 870.10.”
The federal minimum wage that the formula uses is set by statute:
“(1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than— (A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after May 25, 2007; (B) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day;”
That is $7.25 an hour, so 30 times the minimum wage is $217.50 per week. State minimum wages do not change this floor, because the formula names the federal minimum wage.
What counts as disposable pay
The Education Department’s regulation defines it, and the definition decides what you enter in the calculator:
“Disposable pay. This term— (a)(1) Means that part of a debtor's compensation for personal services, whether or not denominated as wages, from an employer that remains after the deduction of health insurance premiums and any amounts required by law to be withheld. (2) For purposes of this part, “amounts required by law to be withheld” include amounts for deductions such as social security taxes and withholding taxes, but do not include any amount withheld under a court order; and (b) Includes, but is not limited to, salary, bonuses, commissions, or vacation pay.”
So health insurance premiums and taxes come out first, and a withholding under a court order does not. Voluntary deductions such as retirement contributions are not on the list of amounts required by law.
The floor for each pay period
Both 34 CFR 34.19(b) and 31 CFR 285.11 point to 29 CFR 870.10 for the floor. That regulation gives the weekly rule and a formula for longer pay periods:
“If an individual's disposable earnings for such a period are equal to or less than 30 times the minimum wage, the individual's earnings may not be garnished in any amount.”
“The following formula should be used to calculate the dollar amount of disposable earnings which would not be subject to garnishment: The number of workweeks, or fractions thereof, should be multiplied times the applicable Federal minimum wage and that amount should be multiplied by 30.”
“For purposes of this formula, a calendar month is considered to consist of 4 1/3 workweeks.”
“The amount of disposable earnings for any other pay period longer than 1 week shall be computed in a manner consistent with section 303(a) of the act and with this paragraph.”
| Pay frequency | Workweeks | Floor: workweeks × 30 × $7.25 |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 1 | $217.50 |
| Every two weeks | 2 | $435.00 |
| Twice a month | 2 1/6 | $471.25 |
| Monthly | 4 1/3 | $942.50 |
A month is 4 1/3 workweeks, so a twice-a-month paycheck covers half of that, 2 1/6 workweeks. The regulation’s own table shows the same result at the older $4.25 minimum wage: its semi-monthly column reads $276.25, which is 2 1/6 × 30 × $4.25. If your pay period is none of these four, the calculator does not apply a floor to it.
If your disposable pay is at or under the floor, the amount is $0. If it is above the floor, the amount above the floor is the second limit, and the garnishment is the lesser of that and 15 percent of disposable pay.
Child support and other garnishments
The Education Department’s rule says what happens when your pay is subject to several orders. This page models only the part that is stated as a formula, and it is a simplification:
“(a) Unless other Federal law requires a different priority, the employer must pay us the amount calculated under § 34.19(b) before the employer complies with any later garnishment orders, except a family support withholding order. (b) If an employer is withholding from a debtor's pay based on a garnishment order served on the employer before our order, or if a withholding order for family support is served on an employer at any time, the employer must comply with our garnishment order by withholding an amount that is the smaller of— (1) The amount calculated under § 34.19(b); or (2) An amount equal to 25 percent of the debtor's disposable pay less the amount or amounts withheld under the garnishment order or orders with priority over our order.”
In the calculator, enter in the last field the amount withheld each pay period under a family support order or an earlier-served garnishment order. The estimate then caps the Education amount at 25 percent of disposable pay less that amount. Treasury’s rule also gives family support orders priority over its wage garnishment orders. Support orders can themselves take a larger share of pay than a student loan order. The federal limit for them is:
“(2) The maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek which is subject to garnishment to enforce any order for the support of any person shall not exceed— (A) where such individual is supporting his spouse or dependent child (other than a spouse or child with respect to whose support such order is used), 50 per centum of such individual’s disposable earnings for that week; and (B) where such individual is not supporting such a spouse or dependent child described in clause (A), 60 per centum of such individual’s disposable earnings for that week; except that, with respect to the disposable earnings of any individual for any workweek, the 50 per centum specified in clause (A) shall be deemed to be 55 per centum and the 60 per centum specified in clause (B) shall be deemed to be 65 per centum, if and to the extent that such earnings are subject to garnishment to enforce a support order with respect to a period which is prior to the twelve-week period which ends with the beginning of such workweek.”
Several orders, state limits and bankruptcy can change the result, so treat the figure as a ceiling to compare with your employer’s calculation and your notice, not as a payroll answer. The statute quoted above allows a larger percentage only with your written consent.
Related: if you are choosing a repayment plan, the Repayment Assistance Plan calculator estimates an income-based payment, and federal student loan limits lists the borrowing caps.
What it means to default on a federal student loan
The Direct Loan regulations define default:
“The failure of a borrower and endorser, if any, to make an installment payment when due, or to meet other terms of the promissory note, if the Secretary finds it reasonable to conclude that the borrower and endorser, if any, no longer intend to honor the obligation to repay, provided that this failure persists for 270 days.”
Wage garnishment is one of several collection tools. The Treasury offset of tax refunds and Social Security benefits is covered in the next section.
Treasury offset: tax refunds and Social Security benefits
The Direct Loan regulation lists the collection actions the Secretary may take on a defaulted loan, including tax refund offset:
“(i) The Secretary may take any action authorized by law to collect a defaulted Direct Loan including, but not limited to, filing a lawsuit against the borrower, reporting the default to nationwide consumer reporting agencies, requesting the Internal Revenue Service to offset the borrower's Federal income tax refund, and garnishing the borrower's wages.”
Social Security benefits are also subject to offset, but only certain benefits and only above a floor. The Treasury regulation says which benefits:
“This section sets forth special rules applicable to the offset of Federal benefit payments payable to an individual under the Social Security Act (other than Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments), part B of the Black Lung Benefits Act, or any law administered by the Railroad Retirement Board (other than payments that such Board determines to be tier 2 benefits) to collect delinquent nontax debt owed to the United States.”
So SSI payments are not offset. For the covered benefits, the amount is:
“(1) The amount offset from a monthly covered benefit payment shall be the lesser of: (i) The amount of the debt, including any interest, penalties and administrative costs; (ii) An amount equal to 15% of the monthly covered benefit payment; or (iii) The amount, if any, by which the monthly covered benefit payment exceeds $750.”
The regulation gives examples:
“(i) A debtor receives monthly Social Security benefits of $850. The amount offset is the lesser of $127.50 (15% of $850) or $100 (the amount by which $850 exceeds $750). In this example, the amount offset is $100 (assuming the debt is $100 or more).”
“(iii) A debtor receives monthly Social Security payments of $650. No amount will be offset because $650 is less than $750.”
The benefit amount that counts is defined this way, and Treasury deducts a fee from each offset:
“The amount of the covered benefit payment payable to a debtor for purposes of this section will be the amount after reduction or deduction required under the laws authorizing the program.”
“A fee which Fiscal Service has determined to be sufficient to cover the full cost of the offset procedure, shall be deducted from each offset amount.”
Treasury offset is also covered by the Department’s January 16, 2026 release, quoted in the Current status section below, which says the Department will delay the implementation of involuntary collections, including the Treasury Offset Program (TOP).
Your monthly benefit
Social Security offset calculator: your estimate
- Monthly offset
- $187.50
- 15% of the monthly benefit
- $187.50
- Benefit above $750
- $500.00
- Benefit after the offset
- $1,062.50
15% of the benefit is the lesser limit.
Estimate based on 31 CFR 285.4(e). Treasury's fee comes out of the offset amount, so less of it is credited to your debt; it does not increase the reduction shown. It does not model other reductions to your benefit. Not legal advice: your notice from the Treasury Department governs.
Notice and hearing rights
Garnishment starts with a written notice:
“At least 30 days before we start garnishment proceedings, we mail the notice by first class mail to your last known address.”
The notice must tell you about your rights, which the regulation lists:
“Before starting garnishment, we provide you the opportunity— (a) To inspect and copy our records related to the debt; (b) To enter into a written repayment agreement with us to repay the debt under terms we consider acceptable; (c) For a hearing in accordance with § 34.8 concerning— (1) The existence, amount, or current enforceability of the debt; (2) The rate at which the garnishment order will require your employer to withhold pay; and (3) Whether you have been continuously employed less than 12 months after you were involuntarily separated from employment.”
A hearing request made on time keeps the order from being issued. The regulation sets the deadline and the effect:
“(a) A hearing request is timely if— (1) You mail the request to the office designated in the garnishment notice and the request is postmarked not later than the 30th day following the date of the notice; or (2) The designated office receives the request not later than the 30th day following the date of the garnishment notice. (b) If we receive a timely written request from you for a hearing, we will not issue a garnishment order before we— (1) Provide the requested hearing; and (2) Issue a written decision on the objections you raised.”
The statute states the deadline differently, as the 15th day after the notice is mailed:
“A hearing described in subsection (a)(5) shall be provided prior to issuance of a garnishment order if the individual, on or before the 15th day following the mailing of the notice described in subsection (a)(2), and in accordance with such procedures as the Secretary or the head of the guaranty agency, as appropriate, may prescribe, files a petition requesting such a hearing.”
If the Treasury Department’s Fiscal Service runs the garnishment, Treasury’s own rule may govern, and it states the deadline as the 15th business day:
“(4) Effect of timely request. Subject to paragraph (f)(13) of this section, if the debtor's written request is received by the agency on or before the 15th business day following the mailing of the notice described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the agency shall not issue a withholding order under paragraph (g) of this section until the debtor has been provided the requested hearing and a decision in accordance with paragraphs (f)(10) and (f)(11) of this section has been rendered.”
As printed, the Education regulation says the 30th day, the statute says the 15th day and Treasury’s rule says the 15th business day. This page does not decide which one applies to you. The deadline on your notice controls: use the date printed on your notice. Request the hearing as early as possible and keep proof of mailing or submission. A late request still gets a hearing, but the order may be issued first:
“(c) If your written request for a hearing is not timely— (1) We provide you a hearing; and (2) We do not delay issuance of a garnishment order unless— (i) We determine from credible representations in the request that the delay in filing the request for hearing was caused by factors over which you had no control; or (ii) We have other good reason to delay issuing a garnishment order.”
After a timely request, or if none is made, the order is issued on this schedule:
“(a)(1) If you fail to make a timely request for a hearing, we issue a garnishment order to your employer within 30 days after the deadline for timely requesting a hearing. (2) If you make a timely request for a hearing, we issue a withholding order within 30 days after the hearing official issues a decision to proceed with garnishment.”
The regulation also says what happens if the hearing takes too long:
“(b) If we do not provide you with a hearing and render a decision within 60 days after we receive your request for a hearing— (1) We do not issue a garnishment order until the hearing is held and a decision rendered; or (2) If we have already issued a garnishment order to your employer, we suspend the garnishment order beginning on the 61st day after we receive the hearing request until we provide a hearing and issue a decision.”
If a hearing official determines that you do not owe the debt, or that garnishment was barred by law when the money was collected, the regulation says the Department will promptly refund any amount collected by means of this garnishment. Federal law also bars an employer from discharging, refusing to employ or disciplining an individual subject to wage withholding because of the garnishment.
Exemption for recent involuntary separation, and the hardship hearing
The Department does not garnish wages in this situation, and you have to tell it:
“(a) We do not garnish your wages if we have credible evidence that you— (1) Were involuntarily separated from employment; and (2) Have not yet been reemployed continuously for at least 12 months. (b) You have the burden of informing us of the circumstances surrounding an involuntary separation from employment.”
The hardship hearing is for borrowers who say the garnishment leaves too little to live on. The regulation defines the term:
“Financial hardship means an inability to meet basic living expenses for goods and services necessary for the survival of the debtor and his or her spouse and dependents.”
“(a) You may object to a proposed garnishment on the ground that withholding the amount or at the rate stated in the notice of garnishment would cause financial hardship to you and your dependents. (See § 34.7)”
For an order that is already in effect, the timing is:
“(c)(1) We consider an objection to an outstanding garnishment order and provide you an opportunity for a hearing on your objection only after the order has been outstanding for at least six months. (2) We may provide a hearing in extraordinary circumstances earlier than six months if you show in your request for review that your financial circumstances have substantially changed after the notice of proposed garnishment because of an event such as injury, divorce, or catastrophic illness.”
The regulation says you must prove a hardship claim with credible documentation of your basic living expenses and the income available to meet them. A hardship finding changes the amount; it does not cancel the debt.
Ways to stop wage garnishment: rehabilitation, consolidation and payment
Rehabilitation
“(1) A defaulted Direct Loan, except for a loan on which a judgment has been obtained, is rehabilitated if the borrower makes 9 voluntary, reasonable and affordable monthly payments within 20 days of the due date during 10 consecutive months. The Secretary determines the amount of a borrower's reasonable and affordable payment on the basis of a borrower's total financial circumstances.”
The first payment amount is set from an income-driven plan payment, with a small minimum:
“Before July 1, 2027, the Secretary initially considers the borrower's reasonable and affordable payment amount to be an amount equal to the payment required under any eligible income-driven repayment plan, except if this amount is less than $5, the borrower's monthly payment is $5.”
“Beginning on and after July 1, 2027, the Secretary initially considers the borrower's reasonable and affordable payment amount to be an amount equal to the payment required under any eligible income-driven repayment plan, except that if this amount is less than $10, the borrower's monthly payment is $10.”
What happens to a garnishment while you rehabilitate is stated in the regulation:
“(11)(i) If a borrower's loan is being collected by administrative wage garnishment while the borrower is also making monthly payments on the same loan under a loan rehabilitation agreement, the Secretary continues collecting the loan by administrative wage garnishment until the borrower makes five qualifying monthly payments under the rehabilitation agreement, unless the Secretary is otherwise precluded from doing so. (ii) After the borrower makes the fifth qualifying monthly payment, the Secretary, unless otherwise directed by the borrower, rescinds the garnishment order issued to the borrower's employer.”
“(iii)(A) Before July 1, 2027, a borrower may only obtain the benefit of a suspension of administrative wage garnishment while also attempting to rehabilitate a defaulted loan once. (B) On or after July 1, 2027, a borrower may only obtain the benefit of a suspension of administrative wage garnishment while also attempting to rehabilitate a defaulted loan a maximum of twice per loan.”
When the loan is rehabilitated, the record changes:
“(8) If a defaulted loan is rehabilitated, the Secretary instructs any consumer reporting agency to which the default was reported to remove the default from the borrower's credit history.”
The Department’s January 16, 2026 announcement also refers to a second rehabilitation:
“The Act also gives borrowers a second chance to rehabilitate a defaulted loan, allowing them to get their repayments back on track and get the loan out of default.”
The regulation sets the dates for when a second rehabilitation is available:
“(12)(i) Effective for any defaulted Direct Loan that is rehabilitated on or after August 14, 2008, and before July 1, 2027, the borrower cannot rehabilitate the loan again if the loan returns to default status following the rehabilitation. (ii) Effective for any defaulted Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2027, the borrower may not rehabilitate the loan again if the loan returns to default status following the second rehabilitation.”
Consolidation
“(1) A borrower may obtain a Direct Consolidation Loan if the borrower meets the following requirements: (i) On the loans being consolidated, the borrower is— (A) At the time the borrower applies for the Direct Consolidation Loan— (1) In the grace period; (2) In a repayment period but not in default; or (3) In default but has made satisfactory repayment arrangements in accordance with paragraph (2) of the definition of that term in § 685.102(b); (B) Not subject to a judgment secured through litigation, unless the judgment has been vacated; or (C) Not subject to an order for wage garnishment under section 488A of the Act, unless the order has been lifted.”
For a defaulted loan, the regulations define the repayment arrangement that is required first:
“(2) For the purpose of consolidating a defaulted loan under § 685.220(d)(1)(ii)(A)(3)— (i) The making of three consecutive, voluntary, on-time, full monthly payments on a defaulted loan prior to consolidation; or (ii) Agreeing to repay the Direct Consolidation Loan under one of the income-driven repayment plans described in § 685.209.”
“(3) For the purpose of paragraph (2)(i) of this definition, the required monthly payment amount may not be more than is reasonable and affordable based on the borrower's total financial circumstances. “On-time” means a payment made within 20 days of the scheduled due date, and voluntary payments are payments made directly by the borrower and do not include payments obtained by Federal offset, garnishment, or income or asset execution.”
Paying in full
“After we have fully recovered the amounts owed by the debtor, including interest, penalties, and collection costs, we send the debtor's employer notification to stop wage withholding.”
A hearing or a hardship request
A timely hearing request stops the order from being issued until a decision (see the notice and hearing section), and a hardship claim can lower the amount. A written repayment agreement is also one of the opportunities the notice must describe.
After you are out of default
Once a loan is out of default, your monthly payment depends on the repayment plan you choose. The Repayment Assistance Plan calculator shows how that plan sets a payment from your income, and the student loan calculator estimates a fixed payment. For official steps, see the Federal Student Aid pages listed at the bottom of this page.
Current status of Education Department involuntary collections
As of October 28, 2026, the Department of Education’s January 16, 2026 release delayed involuntary collections:
“The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) today announced that it will delay the implementation of involuntary collections on federal student loans, including Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) and the Treasury Offset Program (TOP).”
“The temporary delay will enable the Department to implement major student loan repayment reforms under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (the Act) to give borrowers more options to repay their loans.”
“During the delay, the Department encourages borrowers in default to explore their options for resolving their defaulted student loans with the defaulted federal loan servicer.”
A March 19, 2026 release from the Department of Education and the Treasury Department says Treasury will take over collecting defaulted loans:
“Under the new interagency agreement, Treasury will assume operational responsibility for collecting on defaulted Federal student loan debt and provide operational support to ED’s efforts to return borrowers to repayment.”
A September 30, 2026 release launched a defaulted loans support center for applying online to rehabilitate or consolidate:
“The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced the launch of the Defaulted Loans Support Center, a new online portal that gives Americans with defaulted federal student loans a simpler way to understand their options, address default, and return to repayment.”
“The launch of the Defaulted Loans Support Center gives borrowers with defaulted federal student loans a simple, streamlined way to understand the consequences of default and apply online to either rehabilitate or consolidate their loans.”
None of these announcements gives a date for restarting wage garnishment or Treasury offset, and this page does not predict one. The Department’s earlier announcement, dated April 21, 2025, said:
“FSA will restart the Treasury Offset Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, on Monday, May 5, 2025.”
“Later this summer, FSA will send required notices beginning administrative wage garnishment.”
If you receive a notice of proposed garnishment or a Treasury notice, follow the dates and instructions in that notice. The rules quoted above describe what applies if an order is issued.
Frequently asked questions about student loan wage garnishment
How much of my paycheck can be garnished for a defaulted federal student loan?
The statute says the amount deducted for any pay period may not exceed 15 percent of disposable pay unless you give written consent for more. The regulations also keep the garnishment from taking your disposable pay below 30 times the federal minimum wage per week, which is $217.50 a week at $7.25. The amount withheld is the lesser of the two limits. Disposable pay is what remains after health insurance premiums and the amounts required by law to be withheld, such as Social Security taxes and withholding taxes.
How do I work out the garnishment amount?
Subtract your taxes and health insurance premiums from gross pay to get disposable pay. Take 15 percent of it, then subtract the floor for your pay frequency from disposable pay: $217.50 weekly, $435.00 every two weeks, $471.25 twice a month or $942.50 monthly. The garnishment is the lesser of the two results, and it is $0 when disposable pay is at or under the floor. The calculator shows the most an order can take; the amount in your own order may be lower.
Can my Social Security benefits be taken for a student loan?
Benefits payable under the Social Security Act can be offset through the Treasury Offset Program, but SSI payments cannot. Under 31 CFR 285.4 the offset is the lesser of the debt, 15% of the monthly benefit, or the amount by which the monthly benefit exceeds $750. The regulation’s own example is an $850 monthly benefit, which gives $100.
How do I stop student loan wage garnishment?
The regulations describe four routes. A timely written hearing request keeps the order from being issued until the hearing is held and a decision is made. The deadline is stated three ways: the 30th day after the notice date in 34 CFR 34.11, the 15th day after mailing in 20 U.S.C. 1095a(b), and the 15th business day in Treasury’s 31 CFR 285.11(f)(4). This page does not decide which applies, so the deadline on your notice controls; request the hearing as early as possible and keep proof of mailing or submission. A financial hardship claim can reduce the amount. Rehabilitation needs 9 voluntary payments within 20 days of the due date during 10 consecutive months. A garnishment already in place continues until the fifth qualifying payment, unless the Secretary is otherwise precluded from doing so; after that payment the order is rescinded unless you direct otherwise. The suspension while you rehabilitate can be used once before July 1, 2027, and up to twice per loan on or after that date. A Direct Consolidation Loan requires that any garnishment order has been lifted. Paying the debt in full ends the garnishment.
What does it mean to default on a student loan?
In the Direct Loan regulations, default is the failure to make an installment payment when due, or to meet other terms of the promissory note, if the Secretary finds it reasonable to conclude that the borrower no longer intends to honor the obligation, provided the failure persists for 270 days. After default the Secretary may take any action authorized by law, including a lawsuit, reporting to consumer reporting agencies, Internal Revenue Service offset of a federal income tax refund, and wage garnishment.
Is the Department of Education garnishing wages right now?
As of October 28, 2026: a January 16, 2026 Department of Education release said the Department will delay the implementation of involuntary collections, including Administrative Wage Garnishment and the Treasury Offset Program. A March 19, 2026 release said Treasury will assume operational responsibility for collecting on defaulted Federal student loan debt. A September 30, 2026 release announced a Defaulted Loans Support Center for applying online to rehabilitate or consolidate. None of these gives a restart date for wage garnishment or Treasury offset. If you receive a notice, follow the dates and instructions in that notice.
Primary sources: 34 CFR Part 34, Administrative wage garnishment (eCFR) · 20 U.S.C. 1095a, Wage garnishment requirement · 31 CFR 285.11, Administrative wage garnishment (Treasury, eCFR) · 29 CFR 870.10, Maximum part of disposable earnings subject to garnishment (eCFR) · 15 U.S.C. 1673, Restriction on garnishment · 29 U.S.C. 206, Minimum wage · 31 CFR 285.4, Offset of Federal benefit payments (eCFR) · 34 CFR 685.211, Miscellaneous repayment provisions (eCFR) · 34 CFR 685.220, Consolidation (eCFR) · 34 CFR 685.102, Definitions (eCFR) · U.S. Department of Education press release, April 21, 2025 · U.S. Department of Education press release, January 16, 2026 · U.S. Department of Education and Treasury press release, March 19, 2026 · U.S. Department of Education and Treasury press release, September 30, 2026