student loan debt, Student Loans

ITT Tech Student Loan Lender Must Pay $330 Million in Debt Relief to Former Students

An agreement has been reached between the attorneys general from 43 states and the now-closed ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech). This agreement was part of a lawsuit brought by former ITT Tech students, requesting approximately $330 million in student loan forgiveness for 43,000 loans.

This lawsuit was a joint legal effort brought on by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 43 different states. The settlement was made with PEAKS Trust, a private lending institution that is run by ITT and is also affiliated with several Deutsche Bank entities.

Debt Relief, student loan debt, Student Loans, Uncategorized

$5.3 Million in Student Loan Debt Canceled as Part of the ITT Tech National Lawsuit Settlement

Hundreds of Pennsylvania students who attended the now-bankrupt ITT Technical Institute will receive $5.3 million in student loan debt relief as part of a national settlement. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shaprio said 570 former ITT students will have their student loan debt canceled as part of a multi-state settlement.

“With the private student loan program that ITT and CUSO established, ITT Tech was able to take advantage of thousands of hardworking students who were simply trying to complete their education,” Shapiro said in a statement.

The national settlement provides $168 million for more than 18,000 students harmed by abusive lending practices. ITT Tech targeted “low income” students who could not afford to pay tuition out of pocket and relied on federal loans to pay for school, according the settlement. A coalition of 44 states reached a settlement with Student CU Connect CUSO LLC, which was managing the loans for ITT.

ITT Tech had more than 136 campuses in 38 states when it shut down in September 2016. This $600 million settlement cancels all the student loan debt owed to the school.

The agreement specifically deals with student borrowers who attended ITT Tech between the years 2006 and 2016. The settlement also returns $3 million to students who made payments on their loan to the school after the school’s parent company, ITT Educational declared bankruptcy in 2016.

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For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available.  Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. There are ways to file for bankruptcy with student loan debt.  It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief, Student Loans, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Bankruptcy Court Settlement Could Bring $600 Million in Student Loan Debt Relief to ITT Students

Students who attended ITT Technical Institute could have $600 million in student loan debt canceled under a new proposed court settlement. The settlement acknowledges that students who attended the college between 2006 and 2016 have a $1.5 billion claim against ITT.  This means that if any money is left over from the school’s assets after its bankruptcy, students could receive a portion of it.

Since ITT abruptly closed its nearly 140 campuses nationwide and declared bankruptcy in the fall of 2016, students have been desperate to seek financial relief.  Nationwide, ITT Tech had an estimated 35,000 students enrolled in classes.

Last January, a group of students led by the Harvard project, filed a lawsuit claiming that they had a right to ITT’s remaining assets, like any other creditor in a bankruptcy case. They claimed that ITT employed aggressive tactics to recruit them.  After recruitment, the students’ allege they were deceived or misled on multiple fronts.  This deception included the cost of attendance, the school’s accreditation status, the experience of instructors, and the likelihood of job placement and salaries they would earn after graduation.

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For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available. Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief, Student Loans, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Former ITT Tech Students Promised Help, then Silence

It’s been nearly five months since former ITT Technical Institute students received a glimmer of hope that their student loan debt would be forgiven.  Today they are still waiting.

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Jan. 13 that former ITT students — people who graduated or dropped out of the for-profit now defunct college chain long before the Obama administration forced it into bankruptcy — had a chance to get their federal student loans forgiven through a process called borrower defense to repayment.

In a statement, the Education Department said “approvals are beginning” for those students who claimed ITT defrauded them.

That work appears to have stopped altogether. Although the government issued letters to some students promising loan forgiveness within the 120 days, there is no evidence that the Education Department has forgiven loans for any former ITT students since President Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

This is just the latest setback for former ITT Tech students who say they were lured in with false promises and left with a mountain of debt (five- and six-figure student loan debt), few marketable skills and limited job prospects.

Several Democratic senators are seeking answers. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Chuck Schumer of New York, Patty Murray of Washington, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts last week sent a letter to DeVos requesting information on borrower defense claims.

The senators are asking the Dept. of Education to provide detailed information regarding loan forgiveness applications and approvals for past students of ITT, along with two other failed for-profit college chains: Corinthian Colleges and American Career Institute.

Click here to read more on this story.

For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available. Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.