Nearly 47,000 people have been in student-loan repayment for at least 40 years, The Washington Post reported.
The finding was based on data obtained from the Education Department through a Freedom of Information Act request. About 82 percent of the nearly 47,000 are in default on their loans.
The borrowers are a fraction of the 43.5 million Americans with student debt. But many experts say they represent an indictment of the student-loan system.