Who pays student debt if you die?
Rachel Davis
Updated on February 04, 2026
If you die, your federal student loans will be discharged, meaning no further payments will be required. Your parent, spouse or another person you appoint will need to submit proof of death to your loan servicer. This means an original or copy of the death certificate.
What happens to school debt when you die?
If you have federal student loans and pass away, your family can apply for loan discharge due to death and have the remaining balance forgiven.
Are heirs responsible for student loan debt?
All federal student loans are discharged upon the borrower’s passing. For Federal Parent PLUS loans, the debt is also forgiven upon the death of the student for whom the loan was borrowed.
What happens if I never pay my student loans?
Failing to pay your student loan within 90 days classifies the debt as delinquent, which means your credit rating will take a hit. After 270 days, the student loan is in default and may then be transferred to a collection agency to recover.
What happens if you marry someone with student loan debt?
If your spouse takes out a student loan during your marriage, but can’t make payments and defaults, creditors in some states can go after both of your wages and assets — or, if you file jointly, your tax refund. The federal government will also go after your tax refund for loans taken out after marriage that default.
Who is responsible for paying debt after death?
The only exception where your debt would be inherited to your children and they would be required to make payments after your death, is if they signed as the executor of the estate. Holding the title of executor means one would have the responsibility of seeing to it that the deceased’s wishes regarding asset allocation are met.
What happens to student loan debt after death?
Instead, debts that are outstanding are passed to the estate, or the collection of assets, liabilities, and debts formerly owned by the deceased. The estate is settled through a probate process, which includes a step to pay off and settle outstanding student loans, debt, or liabilities.
What happens to Sallie Mae student loans after death?
Some private lenders, including Sallie Mae, will discharge or waive the current balance of the student debt after a borrower’s death. 3 Review your lending agreement to see if it provides any details about how private student loans are handled in the case of a death. If the lender doesn’t discharge the loan, the balance won’t go away.
Who is responsible for a parent’s medical bills after death?
The first thing to know is that this depends on whether your parent died in a state with a filial responsibility statute or filial support law. Under these laws, adult children may be held responsible for financially helping a parent who can’t support themselves, including paying for their medical care.