Kathleen Naranjo was almost eight years into paying off her portion of $50,000 in student loans when a federal appeals court last month ended one of the most affordable loan repayment plans in history. That Biden administration-era plan had reduced her monthly payments to $92 and she was working toward the day when the remaining balance would be forgiven after 10 years of payments doing public service as a nurse.

Now amid soaring gas and food prices, Ms. Naranjo is enrolling in her next best option. Her monthly payment will triple, scrambling her personal finances at a moment when she is hunting for her first house.

“That’s the only way that I can really do it, otherwise I’m going to be paying this loan until I die,” she says.

Why We Wrote This

A federal appeals court officially ended the Biden-era student loan repayment plan that made payments more affordable.…