The three major Credit bureaus (Experian, Trans Union and Equifax) treat Student loans as installment plans and will give your credit score a tremendous boost if you pay them on time as with most other loans. The bureaus record these payments every 30 days which demonstrate to your potential lenders that you can be trusted and are responsible with money. However, if payments are not made on time and you default on your loan it can put you in a dire circumstances and effect your credit in a negative way and completely damage your credit.
This will impede your ability to get started in life as a working adult and in most states where it is legal, employers will check your credit report when you apply for job which can effect your employment. For this very reason if you are in a quandary in which you are not earning enough money to make your monthly student loan payments, it’s best to contact the lenders and ask for a deferment before you lose your right to defer payments. This can also effect you from being eligible for future financial aid which can hurt you if you have plans to attend graduate, medical or law school.