Congress failed to reach a compromise that would prevent subsidized Stafford loans from doubling to 6.8 percent, and — of course — both parties are trying to stick the other with the blame. Passage of PPACA in 2010 ended the Family Federal Education Loan program, which essentially cut the middleman out of student loans and saved the government $58 billion over 10 years. The savings did not come at the expense of borrowers, but some of it did go to help pay for PPACA.