The reporter learned from the Ministry of Finance that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, the People's Bank of China, and the State Administration for Financial Regulation recently issued a notice saying that it has decided to continue to implement the national interest-free and principal repayment policies for student loans in 2025.

  According to the notice, starting from January 1, 2025, the interest on the national student loans that students who graduated from 2025 and previous years should be exempted within 2025. Referring to the national student loan interest subsidy policy, the interest exempted shall be borne by the central and local finances respectively. For the principal of the national student loan that students who graduated in 2025 and previous years should be repaid within 2025, the loan student can apply independently and repay the loan by one year. According to relevant regulations, the loan term shall not exceed 22 years. The extended loan shall not be subject to penalty interest or compound interest, and the risk classification shall not be reduced for the time being.

  It is understood that the introduction of this measure is expected to reduce interest rates by approximately 2.48 billion yuan, benefiting about 6 million college graduates, helping to alleviate the economic and employment pressure of loan students, helping students maintain their personal credit records, and promoting their smooth employment.

  The national student loan interest-free and principal repayment policy, as a phased policy, has been implemented for four consecutive years since 2022. The Ministry of Finance said that the policy will be comprehensively evaluated in 2025, and based on the evaluation situation, it will determine whether it will continue to be implemented in 2026 and in the future. (Reporter Wang Wenzheng)

[Editor in charge: Zhang Qiaosu]