Democratic politicians often claim that the federal government makes a profit on student loans. However, the latest release from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows that the truth of that assertion depends on how you slice the numbers. Using fair-value accounting, which incorporates the big risks that taxpayers take when lending to students, the government is losing money on student loans. And this is no small loss. Over the next ten years, the federal student loan program will come with a $170 billion price tag.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2016/04/10/federal-student-loans-will-cost-taxpayers-170-billion/#211e06195e04