The Department of Education says it will resume collections on May 5 and send wage garnishment notices "later this summer." Here's how to know — and what to do — if you'll be affected.

If you haven’t been making payments on your federal student loans, you could soon find yourself sent to collections with your wages garnished following the return of a Department of Education program.

The Department of Education says it’s getting ready to restart collections on federal student loans that are in default. The White House said it "can and will" garnish borrowers' wages, pensions and tax refunds. The directive includes loans like Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, Federal Family Education Loans, among others.