That’s one takeaway from a survey conducted by Payitoff among 1,000 student-loan borrowers this month.

The payments and the accrual of interest have been paused since the beginning of the pandemic to give relief to the 43 million Americans burdened with an outstanding student debt. An estimated US$1.75 trillion was due as of late 2021, the majority of which to the federal government.

The moratorium has since been renewed six times, but the continued extension has created confusion among borrowers, with 28% unaware of the most recent extension through Aug 31, according to the survey. Nearly 40% don’t know how much their monthly payments will be when it does expire.

Economists who study student loans, such as Sandy Baum at the Urban Institute, say that communication will be key to restarting the programme.

“The government needs to make sure that people have the support and assistance they need to have the information about how to make payments and where to make payments,” Baum said.

Many expect the pause to be prolonged. According to the survey, 55% believe the pause will be extended again and 64% said they would not make a payment until they are legally required to do so.

President Joe Biden on the campaign trail promised to forgive US$10,000 in student debt per borrower but has since said he is waiting for Congress to provide relief through legislative action.

Proponents of a broader cancellation include prominent democrats, President Barack Obama’s former education secretary and a former official in the Trump administration’s education department.

In the survey, 40% of respondents said they want the government to explicitly say whether or not it will forgive student loans, even if the answer is no.