SoFi

Student loan debt and education continue to go hand in hand. According to the latest figures from the Federal Reserve, 30% of U.S. adults had student loan debt upon leaving school.

Federal student loan relief under the CARES Act, set to end on Aug. 31, 2022, has paused monthly federal student loan payments, enacted a 0% interest rate, and halted loan default collections.

However, as the relief window comes to an end, Americans must continue to face their outstanding student debt.

How Many People in the USA Have Student Loans?

The total federal student loan debt crisis amounts to $1.61 trillion in unpaid federal student loans. This outstanding balance is spread among 43.4 million U.S. borrowers.

A 2021 MeasureOne report found that unpaid balances within the federal student loan system account for 92% of U.S. student loan debt. However, U.S. adults are also burdened by private student loans.

As of Q2 2021, Americans have amassed a total of $131.1 billion in unpaid private student loans — accounting for nearly 8% of outstanding student loans in the country.

Who Is the Typical Borrower?

The CollegeBoard’s “2021 Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid” report found that the average four-year, bachelor’s degree graduate left school with an average $26,700 in student debt. Bachelor’s recipients from private nonprofit institutions left school with an average of $33,600 in student debt.

Student Loan Distribution by Institution

Borrowers who were enrolled in a public, four-year U.S. institution received the highest distribution of federal Direct Loan funding.

Nearly 45% of distributed Direct Subsidized Loan funds went toward students enrolled at a four-year school, as did 41% of Direct Unsubsidized Loan funding.

Similarly, 51% of disbursed Parent PLUS Loan funds — designed for parent borrowers on behalf of their college-bound dependant — were for a public, four-year education.

Graduate and professional students who attended a private nonprofit college also received a variety of federal loan funding. Graduate-level students enrolled at a private nonprofit institution saw the highest percentage of total dispersed Grad PLUS Loan funds (68%).

In some cases, student loans for certificate programs may also be borrowed. Some certificate programs are offered at two-year institutions, which make up about 11% of Direct Subsidized loans.

Student Loan Debt by Age

US Adults ages 35 to 49 have a total aggregated balance of $613 billion in federal loans across 14.3 million borrowers. On average, a borrower in this age group has a student debt balance of $42,900, according to CollegeBoard data.

Age	Total Balance	Average Balance per Borrower
Up to age 24	$113.7 billion	$15,200
25 to 34	$500.6 billion	$33.600
35 to 49	$613.0 billion	$42,900
50 to 61	$273.7 billion	$43,400
62 and older	$92.7 billion	$38,600

The next-highest total balance, at $500.6 billion, falls on borrowers ages 24 to 34. The 14.3 million borrowers in this age group have an average loan balance of $33,600.

Borrowers with the highest average balance ($43,400) are those who are ages 50 to 61 — this group accounts for 6.3 million borrowers in the U.S.

Student Loan Debt by Race and Gender

According to a report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), two-thirds of the total U.S. student loan debt is held by women.

Men borrow an average of $29,270 in student loans. By contrast, each woman borrower carries an average of $31,276 in student debt.

Race/Ethnicity (Women)	Cumulative Debt
American Indian or Alaska Native	$36,184.40
Asian	$27,606.60
Black or African American	$41,466.05
Hispanic or Latina	$29,302.45
Pacific Islander/Hawaiian	$38,747.44
White	$33,851.98

Black women face the greatest hurdle when it comes to student loan debt. According to AAUW, one year after graduating, Black or African American women carry the highest cumulative student debt by race and ethnicity at $41,466.05. This figure includes the principal amount and student loan interest rate charges.

What Percentage of College Students Take Out Student Loans?

The percentage of students who borrow student loans vary, based on factors like degree type and institution.

According to the latest data published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the 2019-2020 academic year, 31.8% of undergraduate students received student loans from the federal student loan program.

About 47.6% of bachelor-seeking students attending a private nonprofit received federal student loans, while 13.5% of bachelor’s students enrolled at a public college received federal loan aid.

Among master’s degree students, 51.5% who attended a private nonprofit school received federal aid, compared to 40.5% who attended a public institution.

Finally, 57.4% of students pursuing a non-professional doctorate degree at a private nonprofit received federal loans. Of those who attended a public college, 33.4% of doctoral candidates got a federal loan.

What Is the Total Amount of Money Owed by Americans on Student Loans?

Collectively, Americans have an outstanding student loan balance of $1.61 trillion in federal student loans. This includes Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans, and Perkins Loans. However, this figure doesn’t include education loans from the private sector.

Total private student loans that U.S. adults still owe is estimated at $131.1 billion, according to MeasureOne.

The Takeaway

Americans are carrying a significant student debt burden after leaving school. New and currently enrolled college students will likely see continued rising education costs.

Despite these figures, one of the benefits of student loans is that they can provide access to college for students who might otherwise not be able to finance their education. SoFi Private Student Loans lets eligible students borrow up to the total cost of attendance, through a fast and completely digital process.

Find out if you pre-qualified in just a few minutes.

FAQ

Who holds the majority of student debt?

According to the CollegeBoard, borrowers ages 35 to 49 hold the majority of outstanding federal student debt at $613 billion, with an average balance of $42,900 per borrower.

What is the average student debt in the US?

The average student debt for a public, four-year bachelor’s degree graduate is $26,700, based on 2021 figures from the CollegeBoard.

What is the total amount of student debt owed by Americans?

Americans owe $1.75 trillion in federal and private student loans.

---

Photo credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOPS0222002

Read more

It’s possible to roll student loans into a mortgage using a cash-out refinance. In order to to do this, you’ll already need to have enough equity in your home. While this could potentially help you secure a lower interest rate, it’s not the right choice for everyone. Read on for more information on situations when it may make sense to roll your student loan into a mortgage and other strategies to pay off student loan debt.

Paying Your Student Loans

Paying off one loan with another is a standard form of debt reshuffling or consolidation. When it comes to student loans, though, your options may seem limited. It is, however, possible to roll student loan debt into a new mortgage through a cash-out refinance loan — as long as you have sufficient equity in your home.

But just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. Here are some tips on how to consolidate student loans into a mortgage — and whether it may be the right move for you.

Rolling Student Loans Into a Mortgage

A cash-out refinance is a type of mortgage loan that enables you to turn a portion of your home’s equity into cash. Simply refinance your existing mortgage for more than what you currently owe into a new loan with new terms and keep the difference.

Once you have the cash in hand, and as long as there are no loan conditions to pay off specific debt with the cashout, you can do whatever you want with it, including paying off your student loans.

You may need to do the legwork of determining how much you need to add to the new proposed loan and may be responsible for ordering the final payoff. If it is not a condition of the new mortgage loan, the lender would normally not request escrow to order the payoff and pay the loan in full at loan closing. If you would like escrow to perform this service for you, just let them know.

Once you’ve completed the loan consolidation process, you may still have the same amount of debt as you did before (possibly more if you added any applicable closing costs to your new loan). You’ll just be paying it all in one monthly payment, based on your new mortgage terms.

If you want to refinance student loans into a mortgage, it could be beneficial in some situations. However, it’s important to understand the benefits and drawbacks of doing so and also to compare the benefits of this option with other alternatives.

One such drawback is that you may no longer be eligible for federal student loan benefits , such as the ability to pursue federal student loan forgiveness or federal student loan repayment plans. This includes income-driven repayment plans, where your monthly student loan repayment changes according to your income.

Pros and Cons of Rolling Student Loans into a Mortgage

Depending on your debt situation and your credit profile, consolidating student loans and your mortgage into new terms could be a smart idea or a terrible one. Here are some of the pros and cons to consider.

Pros of Rolling Student Loans into Mortgage

•   It could lower your interest rate: If you pay a higher interest rate on your student loans and current mortgage vs. a new Cash-Out Refi, consolidating may help reduce how much you pay in overall interest.

•   It could lower your monthly payment: If you qualify for a lower interest rate and choose a longer repayment period with the new loan, it may significantly lower the total amount you pay each month for your mortgage and student loans combined. Keep in mind that extending the life of the loan may mean you pay more in interest in the long-term.

•   It simplifies your finances: Having a single monthly payment might make your finances easier to manage. The fewer monthly payments you have to keep track of, the better. If you have multiple student loans, rolling them into your mortgage can make your life easier.

Cons of Rolling Student Loans into Mortgage

•   You could end up paying more interest over time: Stretching a 10-year student loan repayment term to up to 30 years could end up costing you more in interest, even if the interest rate is lower. Also, if you have paid down a 30 year mortgage for a few years and originate a new 30 year mortgage, you will be extending your existing loan term and may be paying additional interest over the life of the loan.

•   You may not be eligible: To qualify for a cash-out refinance loan, you typically need to have at least 20% equity left over after the new loan amount on the cash-out refinance. Even if you do have more than 20% equity right now, the difference might not be enough to pay your student loan in full.

•   You may pay closing costs: Depending upon the rate and term you choose, you may have applicable closing costs. FannieMae offers a program for student loan cash-out refinance loans. Consider getting a quote for this program and compare the rate and fees of this program to a standard cash-out refi.

•   You may be reducing the amount of available equity in your home: Taking cash out of your home can reduce the amount of available equity in your home. Market value fluctuations can also impact the amount of available equity.

3 Alternatives to Rolling Student Loans into a Mortgage

Before you seriously consider consolidating student loans into a mortgage, it’s important to know what other options you may have for paying down your debt faster.

1. Refinancing Your Student Loans

Whether you have federal or private student loans, you can refinance your student loans with a private lender like SoFi. Depending on your credit, income, and financial profile, you may qualify for a lower interest rate, monthly payment, or both.

You can also gain some flexibility by choosing a longer or shorter repayment term. Keep in mind that refinancing federal student loans means they’ll no longer be eligible for any federal programs or borrower protections, such as income-driven repayment plans.

2. Seeking Repayment Assistance

Employers are increasingly offering student loan repayment assistance as an employee benefit. Well-known companies that provide this repayment benefit include Aetna, Fidelity, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SoFi, and more. If your current employer doesn’t offer student loan repayment assistance, consider finding a job that does when you are next seeking employment.

3. Apply for Student Loan Forgiveness or Grants

Depending on your career path, you may qualify for student loan forgiveness or grant programs. Examples of these programs include (but are not limited to):

•   Health care

•   Veterinary medicine

•   Law

•   Military

•   STEM

If you’re working in one of these fields or a similar one, check to see if there are forgiveness or grant programs for which you may qualify. As previously mentioned, a cash-out refi may make you ineligible to participate in these programs. Check on any possible loss of benefits before considering a refinance of these loans.

Deciding If Rolling Student Loans into a Mortgage Is Right for You

Using a cash-out refinance to consolidate student loans and a mortgage into one affordable monthly payment sounds appealing, especially if you can get a lower interest rate than what you’re currently paying. But it’s crucial to consider all of the costs involved before you make a decision.

A lower interest rate, for instance, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll pay less interest over the life of the loan. Work with a mortgage loan officer or run an amortization schedule in order to do the math.

Also, keep closing costs in mind. Closing costs can vary depending upon the loan scenario and is tied to factors such as the interest rate you choose, your credit score, loan type, property type, and more.

And paying closing costs is not a given. For instance, you can choose to take a higher interest rate (if it is still lower than what you currently have) and use the lender rebate money built into that higher rate to cover some or all of your applicable closing costs. When the time comes to lock in your rate, speak with your chosen lender about various loan programs and the estimated closing costs tied to each rate and term option.

Finally, take a look at some of the other options out there and determine whether you could potentially save more money in interest with them. The more time you spend researching, the better your chances of settling on the option that is most affordable overall.

Can You Buy a House With Student Loans?

While existing debt can impact whether you’re approved for a loan, or the interest rate and loan terms if you are approved, it’s still possible to buy a house with student loan debt. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will review your complete financial picture including your debt obligations, which might include student loans, credit card debt, or a car loan.

Debt-to-income ratio is one important consideration for lenders. This is a measurement of how much debt one has in comparison to how much money you earn and lenders rely on this metric to inform whether or not you’d be able to make the monthly payments on a new loan, considering your existing debt. Generally speaking, lenders are unlikely to approve anyone for a mortgage with a debt-to-income ratio higher than 43%, though lenders may be more inclined to lend to someone with a debt-to-income ratio lower at or less than 36%.

Beyond debt-to-income ratio, lenders will also evaluate factors such as the borrower’s credit score.

Before applying, do some number crunching to see what a mortgage might cost and how it will impact your overall debt-to-income ratio. This might be helpful in understanding the mortgage rates you may be eligible for.

In addition to traditional home loans there are programs available for first-time home buyers that might make buying a home with student loan debt more achievable.

Refinancing Student Loans With SoFi

If you are interested in consolidating your student loan debt at a lower interest rate but don’t want to roll them into your mortgage, you may instead want to consider student loan refinancing. With SoFi student loan refinancing, you can refinance your private or federal loans (or both!) with no application fees, origination fees, or prepayment penalties. And you still get the benefit of consolidating your loans to one payment, with a new (and potentially better) interest rate and loan terms. Keep in mind that refinancing any federal loans will eliminate them from federal programs and borrower protections such as income-driven repayment plans or deferment options.

The Takeaway

When paying down student loan debt faster, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The more information you gather about your options, the easier it will be to eliminate your debt as quickly as possible.

If you’re interested in refinancing your student loans, consider SoFi. Student loan refinancing at SoFi has no fees and as a SoFi member, borrowers qualify for perks such as career coaching, community events, and more.

Learn more about SoFi student loan refinancing.

FAQ

Is it a good idea to roll your student loans into a mortgage?

Evaluate all loan details carefully before rolling your student loans into a mortgage. Factors such as closing costs, loan term, any additional fees, and interest rate can all influence how much it will cost to borrow money over the life of a loan. In some cases, it may be possible to qualify for a lower interest rate when borrowing a mortgage. In other cases, extending the repayment of your student loans over a 30-year period with your mortgage may make it more expensive. If you have any questions on your personal financial situation, consider speaking with a qualified financial professional or mortgage loan officer who can offer a personalized assessment.

Can student loans be included in a mortgage?

Student loans can be included in a mortgage if you have enough equity in your home. Rolling student loans into a mortgage generally requires the borrower to take out a cash-out refinance loan, which allows you to turn a portion of your home’s equity into cash. Once you have the cashout in hand, you can pay off your existing student loans.

Terms may vary by lender. There are certain programs, such as Fannie Mae’s Student Loan CashOut Refi that specialize in this type of borrowing.

How much of student loans is counted for a mortgage?

Student loans are evaluated as a part of your overall debt-to-income ratio. In general, lenders avoid lending to borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio greater than 43%.

---

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are a federal student loan borrower, you should consider all of your repayment opportunities including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. Please note that once you refinance federal student loans you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans or extended repayment plans.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOSL0222002

Read more