This Is Not a Drill: Student Loan Payments Are Back—And Black Women Are Still Hit Hardest

African-American young woman in a beige sweater sitting at the table and going through paperwork.She is holding unpaid billsBy Kimberly Wilson ·Updated May 7, 2025The federal government started collecting on defaulted student loans again this Monday, ending a pandemic-era pause provided by the Biden administration, that provided temporary relief to millions of Americans drowning in educational debt. For Black women, who carry the heaviest student loan burden of any demographic, this