College Inside: Incarcerated borrowers can now consolidate their student loans, offering another path out of default

In April, the U.S. Education Department announced that incarcerated borrowers can now consolidate their loans to get them out of default. Consolidation allows people to combine one or more federal loans into a new loan. Previously, incarcerated borrowers were not eligible for consolidation. But the Ed Department encourages everyone who is still in default to first use the Fresh Start program, a temporary program to bring loans into good standing that expires September 30, 2024.