Early in December, thousands of dollars were deposited into my bank account from the US Department of Education.

Student loan borrowers have been on awild ride this year.

During the pandemic, I paid down my student loan balance to about $14,000.

On Dec. 1, more than 10 weeks after making the request, that refund hit my bank account.

And if you receive a student loan refund, I recommend you don’t either.

I’m doing this for a few reasons.

Keep following CNET for the latest news on student loan forgiveness.

Read more:‘Paying for the Rest of My Life.’

Student Loan Debt Is Crushing an Entire Generation