I Asked ChatGPT About Student Loans. Here’s What It Got Wrong.

Student loan debt is one of the most complex financial products in the United States, shaped by constantly changing federal programs, complicated repayment plans, and rules that differ based on the year you borrowed, income, marital status, and type of employment. 

In today's world, so many people default to “just ask ChatGPT” for quick answers. But what happens when you do?

I posed two scenarios to ChatGPT. The first was straightforward: $20,000 in federal student loans, with a borrower earning $52,000 a year as a teacher. The second was more complicated: $220,000 in loans across undergraduate, graduate, and private loans, with a $120,000 income as an architect.

The results revealed the pitfalls of using artificial intelligence as a financial resource. 

While the tool offered a basic repayment overview, it also recommended outdated programs and struggled to provide clear answers on loan forgiveness programs like PSLF. Even when it recommended questions to help personalize the output, the questions weren't enough to provide a better answer.