The Treasury reported $214.9 billion in delinquent Direct Loan debt owed to the Department of Education at the end of June 2026, up from $99.4 billion a year earlier. That is 116.2% more in dollars. The file also gives a count of delinquent items: 45.65 million at the end of June 2026, against 47.87 million a year earlier.
The same Direct Loan portfolio had a balance of $1.610 trillion at the end of June 2026. Delinquent amounts at the Department of Education also include $51.0 billion in defaulted guaranteed loans. Across every agency in the file, delinquent debt came to $465.3 billion on that date.
These are federal receivable records, filed by the agencies that are owed the money. They are not credit-bureau data and they are not the share of borrowers who are behind. This page does not explain why the amounts changed between quarters.
Direct Loans, five quarter ends
| Quarter end | Delinquent debt, Direct Loans | Delinquent items (millions) | Balance at quarter end |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | $99.4 billion | 47.87 | $1,546.6 billion |
| September 30, 2025 | $181.9 billion | 47.65 | $1,577.3 billion |
| December 31, 2025 | $210.0 billion | 52.43 | $1,585.0 billion |
| March 31, 2026 | $199.5 billion | 49.36 | $1,611.2 billion |
| June 30, 2026 | $214.9 billion | 45.65 | $1,610.4 billion |
How long the Direct Loan debt has been delinquent
Treasury reports delinquent debt by age. At the end of June 2026 the largest group was debt delinquent for one to two years, at $107.8 billion.
| How long delinquent | Amount | Share of the total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 180 days | $1.5 billion | 0.7% |
| 181 to 365 days | $15.3 billion | 7.1% |
| 1 to 2 years | $107.8 billion | 50.1% |
| 2 to 6 years | $0.3 billion | 0.1% |
| 6 to 10 years | $40.6 billion | 18.9% |
| Over 10 years | $49.4 billion | 23.0% |
Delinquent debt by agency
These are sums of the rows in the Treasury file for June 30, 2026, which are listed by receivable type. The six agencies with the most delinquent debt are below.
| Agency | Delinquent debt, June 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Department of Education | $266.6 billion |
| Small Business Administration | $145.0 billion |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $10.4 billion |
| Social Security Administration | $7.8 billion |
| Securities & Exchange Commission | $7.6 billion |
| Department of Health & Human Services | $5.4 billion |
| All agencies in the file | $465.3 billion |
Source
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Treasury Report on Receivables and Debt Collection Activities, quarterly data for record dates June 30, 2025 through June 30, 2026 (field: delinquent debt by age, total). U.S. government data. We pulled the figures from the Fiscal Data API on October 11, 2026. Our table is available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Federal Student Loans in the Treasury Receivables Report," My Credit Guide, October 11, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/student-loan-delinquent-debt-treasury/.
For a state view from credit files, see student loan balances 90 or more days late, by state. For what collection activity does to a debt that is old, see the state deadlines to be sued.