There are a number of consequences to defaulting on your student loans. Before you borrow, you must have the mindset that you are responsible for paying back every dollar, plus interest that you borrow.Going to school online or via a traditional institution will cost you money. In fact, it costs more than most can afford. As a result, the majority of individuals going to college today take out multiple loans in order to pay for this significant expense. Regardless of which loans you use to pay for college, you must pay them back upon graduation.What happens if you don’t pay back your loans? Loan defaults continue to rise in today’s economy and the impact is very negative for those individuals who cannot or choose not to repay them. Financial difficulties, employment problems, and relationship issues can all resultWhen you fail to pay back your loans, your credit score will be negatively impacted. In fact, this information can stay on your credit report for more than five years after it has been discharged. This significantly hurts your ability to get future loans, rent and apartment or buy a house. Anything that requires an application will more than likely reference your credit. Companies do not want to sell you anything unless they know that you have the ability to pay for it.Not only can poor credit or personal bankruptcy impact your financial health, it can also have a negative impact on your relationships. Each year thousands of people get divorced over money problems, foreclosures, and cars being repossessed because they were unable to pay back loans and hurt their ability to acquire credit. Don’t fall prey making minimum payments, skipping payments, and ultimately defaulting on your repayment schedule.Even if you are able to recover from a failure to repay your loans, the stigma will stay with you for some time. Building good credit should be your goal and the best way to accomplish this is through making on time payments and only paying for those things for which you already have the money.Student loans are rarely forgiven. If you are struggling to make your monthly payments due to job loss or some other change in your status, don’t hesitate to contact your lender before it becomes a problem. Once people fall behind in there payments they rarely, if ever catch up.You can work with your lender to restructure the loan or stretch it out, lowering your monthly payment. Although this adds to the life of the loan, it will certainly help you manage your expenses in the short term. Don’t let difficult times ruin your entire future. Start with a mindset of responsibility and you will succeed.