Urban Institute,K ristin Blagg, September 15, 2016: “Borrowers have more choices than ever for paying down their student loans. Although many borrowers still automatically enroll in standard 10-year, fixed-payment plans, some opt to enroll in programs that allow smaller monthly payments, such as income-driven repayment plans, or plans with longer repayment periods. I present a new analysis of borrower-level credit bureau data, showing that borrowers who start repayment with smaller, or modified, payments have better short-term loan outcomes but do not fully avoid delinquencies and defaults.”