FHA Acts to Remove Homeownership Barriers for Those With Student Loan Debt
At NAHB’s urging, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced updates to its student loan monthly payment calculations to take steps to remove barriers and provide more access to affordable single-family FHA-insured mortgage financing for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt.
This update is the result of a coalition letter NAHB signed onto last year with the Mortgage Bankers Association in which we requested that FHA amend its policy regarding student loan debt calculation to allow for the use of the actual monthly student loan payment made by the borrower.
Previously, FHA presumed a monthly payment of 1% of the outstanding student loan balance, which is almost always larger than the actual payment being made by the potential borrower. NAHB contended that the previous policy disqualified creditworthy borrowers due to inflated debt-to-income ratios resulting in limited financing options or disqualifying borrowers entirely.
The new policy more closely aligns FHA student loan debt calculation policies with other housing agencies by basing the monthly payment on the actual student loan payment, which is often lower, and helps home buyers with student debt to meet minimum eligibility requirements for an FHA-insured mortgage.
Specifically, the new policy bases the monthly payment on the amount reported on the credit report or the actual documented payment, when the payment amount is above zero; or 0.5% of the outstanding loan balance, when the monthly payment reported on the borrower’s credit report is zero.
This change in policy results in a more accurate student loan payment calculation and will make it easier for home buyers with student debt to qualify for a federally insured mortgage.
Latest from NAHBNow
Workforce Development
May 05, 2026
Philadelphia BIA Member Shifts How Local Community Views the TradesFor Jordan Parisse-Ferrarini, a member of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, a career that began with his family’s small business and tools from a pawn shop has flourished into multiple companies, numerous advisory roles and a passion for developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
Economics
May 05, 2026
New Home Sales Rise, Supported by Limited Existing InventorySales of newly built single-family homes rose 7.4% in March, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 682,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales is up 3.3% from a year earlier.
Latest Economic News
Economics
May 04, 2026
Mortgage Rates Climb as Inflation Rebounds and Yields RiseMortgage rates continued to increase in April as ceasefire negotiations remain inconclusive. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.34% in April, 16 basis points (bps) higher than March. The average 15-year rate also increased by 13 bps to 5.69%. Despite the recent increase, both rates remain lower than a year ago by 39 bps and 21 bps, respectively.
Economics
May 01, 2026
Student Housing Construction Investment Holds Steady in the First Quarter of 2026Private fixed investment in student dormitories edged up 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026, holding at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.9 billion. This modest gain marked a third consecutive quarterly increase, despite continued pressures from elevated interest rates. However, on a year-over-year basis, investments in dorms remained almost unchanged.
Economics
Apr 30, 2026
Housing’s Share of GDP Dips Below 16% for First Time Since 2019Housing’s share of the economy was 15.9% in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is down from 16.0% in the fourth quarter and is lower than 16.5% registered just one year ago.