SAVANNAH, Ga. () – The Department of Education announced Monday it will resume collections on defaulted student loans, and soon, it will begin garnishing wages from those that don’t pay up.

On May 5, the Trump administration is going to start collecting again after five years of paused payments.

“The economy is what it is, and you have to make a certain amount of money by a certain point, or you’re in debt for the rest of your life,” Cameron Benzing, a recent graduate whose been making payments on her loans, said.

Anyone who doesn’t fall under one of the current exemptions, like forbearance, and hasn’t made a payment in more than 360 days, will be expected to start paying immediately.

However, those who are still in default by May 5 will have payments from the federal government, like tax refunds or social security benefits, withheld.

After an additional 30 days, delinquent borrowers will have what they own taken directly from their wages.

“I can’t imagine having a job and just taking money out of it when you have to pay for stuff like groceries, housing,” current student Kayla Rubayiza, said.

According to the Department of Education, more than five million borrowers are currently in default and four million are approaching default status.

“This is unsustainable, unfair, and a huge liability for American taxpayers,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, said. “Debt cannot be wiped away. It just ends up getting transferred to others.”

For the past five years, student loan payments were paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Biden administration’s attempts to enact student loan forgiveness programs.

“My wages are already pretty low, and for you to start taking some loans out of my wages, it’s like, what am I supposed to do? I just feel completely vulnerable in the state of the economy,” Benzing said.

Even those who have just begun their journey with higher education said they’re already thinking ahead to how they’re going to make their payments.

“I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into,” Sierra Chagin, a freshman student, said. “Then, when I realized the cost and how much everything was in total and they told me the amount, I got really stressed out because I’m like, oh my God, I have all this money that I’m going to need to pay for.”

The Department of Education is encouraging those with defaulted loans to begin making payments, enroll in an income-driven repayment program or sign up for loan rehabilitation.