Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art and Design

First Advisor

Mike Lavella

Second Advisor

Erica Blum

Abstract

Researchers have studied several facets of federal student loans, such as the impacts it has on borrowers’ finances, mentality, and life goals, plus the history of the federal student system and potential changes. There has been little research conducted on how borrowers make decisions regarding repayment, including choosing plans, navigating the repayment system, and understanding the long term implications of their choices. Since this research largely does not exist, there are few tools and resources to help guide borrowers as they manage the large, complex, and dynamic landscape that is navigating the federal loan system and repaying their debt. I hypothesize that borrowers actively navigating student loan repayment struggle from a lack of personalized, understandable guidance. My research question is this: What challenges do borrowers face when selecting and managing federal student loan repayment plans, and how can user-centered financial tools be designed to better support informed, long-term repayment decisions? Through UX research and concept design, this study explores how a financial tool with an emphasis on decision support can help borrowers develop effective repayment strategies, understand and respond to policy changes, and build sustainable repayment habits across complex loan situations. I conducted qualitative research via a survey completed by 21 participants, and found that federal student loan borrowers find managing repayment stressful, largely distrust their sources of information regarding student loan policy changes, underutilize existing tools to help them budget, and have a desire for more information and support when it comes to their balance and payments. This information has informed the design of a conceptual app, which aims to fill these gaps and pain points identified by participants. If developed, the app could help millions of federal student loan borrowers better understand and manage their federal student loans, helping them psychologically and socially, while helping them better achieve large life milestones.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Federal student loan borrowers lack personalized, understandable guidance when navigating complex repayment systems, choosing plans, and managing long-term financial implications. 

  • The Method: Qualitative UX research was conducted via a survey of 21 federal student loan borrowers with balances of at least $20,000 to inform the conceptual design of a mobile-first financial tool. 

  • Quantitative Finding: Federal student loan debt in the United States has reached $1.8 trillion among 44.7 million borrowers; college costs have increased 103% since 1987 while wages rose only 14%; 14 out of 21 survey participants prioritized monthly payment affordability when selecting a plan. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Participants report that the federal repayment system is confusing and stressful; borrowers largely distrust information regarding policy changes and rely on fragmented sources like social media or informal advice; survey data indicates a high demand for scenario modeling, interest accumulation projections, and personalized repayment strategies.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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