But much less attention has been paid to what happens to students after they borrow. Lenders who make loans guaranteed by the federal government can more easily take steps against borrowers  like garnishing wages and benefits  than they can with other kinds of unsecured consumer debts. And all student loans, federally guaranteed or not, are extremely hard to get rid of in bankruptcy proceedings, more so than credit card or other debt.

More borrowers may begin to discover the harrowing consequences of reneging on student loans in the current economy. Numbers of borrowers behind on payments and in outright default are rising for some types of loans, and the tight job market makes it harder for graduates to find jobs that let them pay off debts. At the same time, investors are pressuring lenders to raise revenue by minimizing losses. Investors also expect more revenue from those lenders that operate collection agencies.

To many people, the special treatment of student loans sometimes seems appropriate, but at other times unduly harsh. Usually, people do not learn just how powerfully the law protects student loans until something goes unexpectedly wrong in their lives.

Donna Troestler, 47, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, in 1998 with a degree in biology and microbiology, was traveling to sell scientific instruments in 1999 when she suffered an injury that caused recurring problems. It took years for her to figure out what kind of work she could do, given her new health limitations; in the meantime, she deferred payments on about $23,000 in loans.

“I never thought in a million years that I was ever going to have a problem with working and making money,” Ms. Troestler said. In 2002, she defaulted on her loans, which then ballooned with fees and penalties to $63,000, she said. In 2003, she found a job at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she still works. But then she found that her wages had been garnished, taking about $500 a month from her $2,500 take-home pay, she said.