Evidence base and collection periods
Survey data collection spans January 2025 through December 2026. The dataset contains 1,810 survey records, including 1,658 completed surveys. Available-case denominators vary by measure.
Interview data collection began in May 2026 and remains ongoing. As of August 2026, the qualitative sample includes 67 interview participants and 2,933 coded response units.
Survey estimates
All survey findings are unweighted. Percentages, averages, and distributions use valid responses available for each measure. Results are descriptive and should not be interpreted as causal effects or as automatically statistically significant differences.
Nineteen survey outcomes
Financial position and well-being: Homeownership; FICO Score; Financial Stress Scale; Kessler Psychological Distress Categories; Food Security Category; Self Harm Thoughts; and Suicidal Ideation.
Education, college value, and repayment information:
- Family Education Expectations
- Degree for a Well-Paying Job
- Degree Importance Over Time
- Children: Two-Year Credential
- Children: Four-Year Degree
- College Experience Importance
- College Was Worth It
- Servicer Trust
- Servicer Information Clarity
- Federal Guidance Trust
- Federal Information Clarity
- Repayment Uncertainty
The data explorer displays the exact survey wording whenever one of the twelve added outcomes is selected.
FICO values outside 300–850 were excluded. Valid scores are categorized as Poor (300–579), Fair (580–669), Good (670–739), Very Good (740–799), and Exceptional (800–850), following Experian’s published base FICO ranges. Food security categories are High (score 0), Marginal (1), Low (2–4), and Very Low (5–6). Self Harm Thoughts and Suicidal Ideation are coded “Yes” when a respondent reported the thought on any number of days above zero during the past 12 months, including “7 Days.”
Comparison variables
- Age
- Federal Loan Balance
- Individual Gross Income
- Racial or Ethnic Group
- Gender
- Married
- Dependent Children
- Highest Earned Degree
- Job Sector
- Current Federal Loan Situation
- Enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Age categories are 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60+.
Small samples
Small categories are not suppressed because the public file contains only summarized results and no individual identifiers. Every estimate based on 15 or fewer valid respondents is marked: “Small sample: This result is based on 15 or fewer respondents and may be unstable. Interpret comparisons with caution.”
Interview evidence
Interview data collection began in May 2026 and remains ongoing. The qualitative sample included 67 interview participants as of August 2026. Interviews provide depth and context but are not statistically representative of all survey respondents. Quotations remain connected to the relevant outcome or qualitative theme; they are not automatically attributed to demographic subgroups selected in the data explorer.
Interview quotations have been lightly edited to remove verbal fillers, false starts, and repetition, and may be shortened for clarity. These edits do not change the speaker’s meaning. All names are pseudonyms.
Research and funding
Conducted by Daniel A. Collier, Associate Professor at the University of Memphis and Research Fellow at the Princeton University Debt Collection Lab.
This research was funded by the Lumina Foundation. The findings and conclusions presented are those of the research team and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.