The end of student loan forbearance will be tougher on women

By ANNA HELHOSKI of NerdWallet

Before the pandemic, women already held more student debt than men and had a harder time paying it off due to lower earnings in the workplace. While the federal student loan payment pause helped borrowers take a collective breath, when student loan payments restart in February 2022, women are still expected to struggle more than men. The pandemic shined a light on the inequities women face, particularly women with children, Black women and women without college degrees (many of whom have student debt). Borrowers who think they may have difficulty making loan payments should contact their servicers now to prepare before the forbearance ends Jan. 31, 2022.