New AICPA Survey Finds 74% of Americans Who Have Personal Student Loans are Worried About Their Ability to Pay Those Loans Back

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For some, with higher education comes worry. An August survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) found three-quarters (74%) of Americans who have personal student loans are somewhat or very worried about their ability to pay those loans.

"Student loans are more than a monthly payment – they're a long-term financial commitment," says Pamela Ladd, CPA/PFS, senior manager of Personal Financial Planning for the American Institute of CPAs. "The fact that three-quarters of borrowers are worried about repaying their student loans underscores the urgent need for personalized financial planning. These concerns aren't just numbers – they reflect real stress that can derail financial stability."

The survey also found:

• Twenty-two percent of Americans either have personal student loans or have parent loans for their children.
  
  
• More than half of those who have personal/parent loans (53%) say those loans affect their ability to save (e.g., for retirement, other financial goals).
  
  
• Of those who have children with student loans, 70% were very or somewhat worried about their child(ren)'s ability to pay for their student loans.
  
  
• For those who have personal/parent student loans, 55% say their loans were previously deferred and are now expected to be paid back.
  
  
•  For those with children with student loans, 49% say those loans were previously deferred and are now expected to be paid back.

Those surveyed with personal student loans weren't just students right out of college. Personal student loan holders by age group:

Age 18 – 34: 37%
Age 35 – 44: 27%
Age 45 – 54: 25%

Advice for Paying Student Loans

Update your contact information. Confirm that your student loan provider has the correct contact information for you. You may have a different email address, home address or phone number since you first contacted that provider. Missed communication could lead to confusion and missed payments.

Be informed and make a plan. Contact your loan provider and get the details about your loan including what your repayment options are, the date you will need to start making payments and what to do if you need help making those payments. Review the terms and conditions of your loan(s). Make a financial plan for how you will make your payments and any changes you can make to your budget to allow you to make your payments in full and on time.

Pay early and extra, if possible. If you are still in school and can put any money toward your loans, contact your loan provider to find out how. Once you've started on your payment plan, consider adding additional funds to your payment to reduce the interest you pay and the total cost of your loan over time.

If you can't pay, take action quickly. Contact your loan provider immediately and ask about your options. Some federal student loan programs could help you with repayment. The U.S. Department of Education offers suggestions for students dealing with federal loans here. Don't wait to address the issue. Missed payments can pile up quickly and accrue interest, making your payments higher.

"Families who are behind in retirement savings or even emergency fund savings struggle with saving for college at all, and given the high cost of education, loans are sometimes necessary to bridge the gap," says Laura Brown, CPA/PFS, member of the AICPA's Personal Financial Specialist Credential Committee. "Implementing an aggressive repayment strategy can help ease the stress of a high expense period of life." 

Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of AICPA from August 21 - 25, 2025 among 2,087 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact the AICPA.

To find more helpful articles, visit the AICPA's Financial Literacy Resources page.

About the American Institute of CPAs

The American Institute of CPAs^® (AICPA^®) is the world's largest member association representing the CPA profession, with 397,000 members and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education, and consulting. A founding member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession, attestation standards, and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, offers specialized credentials, partners across the profession to build future talent, and drives continuing education to advance the vitality, relevance, and quality of the profession.

SOURCE AICPA