Kettering University graduation 2014

Student loan borrowers are signing up for income-based repayment with increasing regularity, new loan data indicates.

(File photo)

LANSING -- Paying back student loans is a major concern for younger Americans, but new data on loan repayment from the federal government shows the word is getting out about affordable options.

Data on the U.S. Department of Education's student loan portfolio indicates that $101 billion of the more than $1 trillion in loan debt held by the government is being paid back through either income-based repayment or the "Pay As You Earn" plan, representing almost two million borrowers.

Those figures are for the third quarter of the 2014 federal fiscal year, which ended June 30.

Enrollment in income-based repayment jumped by more than 210,000 borrowers over the second quarter, representing an extra $10 billion in debt being paid back through the plan.

"Pay As You Earn" enrollment increased by about 90,000 borrowers over the second quarter of the year, which ended March 31.

The income-based repayment plan caps payments at 15 percent of a borrower's discretionary income, while the "Pay As You Earn" plan limits payments to 10 percent. Under both plans, balances not paid back after 25 years are forgiven by the government, although borrowers pay taxes on the forgiven amount.

Changes announced by President Barack Obama earlier this year will expand the programs even more by making older loans eligible for the plans, a change expected to give an extra 200,000 Michiganders the opportunity to sign up.

The standard 10-year repayment plan remains the most popular, with more than 11 million borrowers signed up and paying back more than $175 billion in loans.

Brian Smith is the statewide education and courts reporter for MLive. Email him at bsmith11@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.