Schools Student Loan Default Rates Increase by Gary Kopycinski on September 14, 2009 Gary Kopycinski Author More in Schools: Save the date for The Prairie Party at theNate June 17, 2026 Governors State Has New Soccer Complex and New Men’s Coach June 17, 2026 Amauree Williams Caps Historic Southland Career with Three State Championships June 3, 2026 Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–September 14, 2009. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that the FY 2007 national student loan cohort default rate increased to 6.7 percent, up from the FY 2006 rate of 5.2 percent.