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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on August 18, 2010:
Student loan delinquencies are reported in the same way as other accounts
Dear Experian,
Can you tell me how long late payments on a student loan are reported on my credit report?
- RNT
Dear RNT,
Late payments on student loans are treated the same as any other installment loans that appear in your credit history. The late payments will appear seven years from the original delinquency date.
Student loans differ somewhat from other types of accounts in that payments may be deferred for a period of time. During the deferment period, your credit report will indicate the account payments are deferred.
In some instances, student loans are made for each semester of the school year. So, you may have two student loans appearing in your credit report, representing one full year of education loans.
In the past, student loans generally could not be discharged through bankruptcy. Like all other debts, you want to make sure you plan how you will repay the debts and make all of your payments on time.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team