TikTok videos, some with tens of thousands of views, are claiming that borrowers can have all their student loans erased by following a few simple steps.
“I just got approved today, and I don’t really know what approved means,” one TikToker says in a video posted in April. She explained that she disputed the line on her credit report that referred to her student debt, and had it removed from the credit report. “Does that mean I’m not going to have to make payments?” she says.
The answer is clear, experts say: No.
Left unpaid, experts warn, these loans can inflict severe long-term financial damage. Even though parts of the federal student loan system are in flux, borrowers are still on the hook for student loans, even if some have them wiped from credit reports by disputing them.
Here’s what to know:
What are the videos saying?
One TikTok video that has racked up more than 200,000 views begins: “This is how to delete your student loans.”
Some videos claim that because the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration’s federal cost-cutting initiative, gained access to student loan data, student borrowers can file a complaint about violation of privacy rights (under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA) and have their student debt erased.
Other videos state that student loan borrowers can erase their debt merely by disputing it on their credit reports, which usually make reference to the loans.
One TikTok user, Melinda Johnson, said in an email interview that she had tried this to see if the line could be removed from her credit report. It worked for her, but not for other family members, she said.
“I do know that the debt will still be my responsibility,” she said.
Millions of borrowers face plunging credit scores. After years of Covid-era pauses on repayments and collections, the Department of Education resumed collections on defaulted student loans in May and warned that borrowers could be referred to debt collectors or enrolled in income-based repayment plans.
If I successfully dispute a loan on my credit report, do I still have to repay it?
Yes. FERPA does not apply in this case, said Megan Walter, an analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Having loans removed from credit reports may improve credit scores, which can make it easier, for example, to rent or buy a home, she said. But it does not mean the loans are no longer owed.
The proliferation of TikTok videos saying otherwise “makes me really nervous for the people who do not understand what this actually means,” Ms. Walter said. “While it may get removed temporarily or permanently, you still have an underlying debt obligation to the Department of Education or the lender,” she said.
Experian, one of the three major U.S. consumer credit bureaus, said in a statement that it was aware of the TikTok posts.
“Submitting a dispute does not negate a consumer’s obligation to repay their student loans, nor does it automatically remove the student loan from a consumer’s credit report,” the statement said. “However, if a consumer believes there are potential discrepancies on their credit report, including with their student loans, they can submit a dispute directly with each of the three credit bureaus.”
Credit Karma, a service that furnishes consumers with credit scores based on information from credit bureaus, also acknowledged the online conversations. It said that “the decision lies with the lender” about whether to approve or reject a request to have student loans deleted from a credit report.
Violating the terms of a loan can cause problems.
If you default on debt, you could have tax refunds withheld or face legal action.
The videos are popping up as a record number of borrowers are at risk of defaulting by the end of the year. “People are kind of grasping onto anything that seems like an easy fix,” Ms. Walter said.
Just a third of the 38 million Americans who have borrowed money to pay for college or graduate school and should be making payments actually are, according to government data.
I’m struggling to repay my loans. What are my options?
Student loan forgiveness programs aim to help borrowers who cannot repay their loans.
Among them are income-driven repayment plans that tie monthly payments to borrowers’ incomes. If you’re making very little money, you may be able to make much lower payments — and you may be eligible to have your remaining balance forgiven after 10 to 25 years of payments. Repayment periods, depending on the plan, can last 20 to 25 years.
Other programs are available, but some are in legal limbo because of court challenges. A repayment plan known as SAVE, which was introduced under the Biden administration, significantly shrank monthly student loan payments depending on a borrower’s income and household size, but its future is uncertain under President Trump.
Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news and other topics.
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