regular consumer debt/credit reports do no apply to student loans. Having said that, I have always wondered if student loans follow the same rules as credit cards re they are dropped from the creit report after 7 yrs?

If so, what determines the date? Is it the date fromt he first delinquency or not?

They drop off 7 years after the claim paid date, the date that the default claim is paid. DOFA is not applicable to student loans.

But what if the loan never defaults? In that case the lates still fall off after 7 years, right?

That's right. The exemptions apply only to defaults. Otherwise, reporting is the same as anything else.