Tag: student loan bankruptcy

student loan debt

The Hidden Cost of Student Loan Debt

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According to a recent report from the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC), student loan debt may lead to additional interest paid on other forms of debt, including credit cards and mortgages. Borrowers may not realize just how much their debt can influence these other payments and may be paying higher prices without even realizing it.

The effects of student loan debt are far-reaching. Approximately 44 million Americans carry a collective $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. Most of these individuals also carry other forms of debt, the most common of these being mortgages and credit card debt. According to this SBPC study, these individuals are also forced to pay up to tens of thousands more in extra costs when purchasing a home or car or even using their credit card.

Coronavirus, COVID-19, student loan debt

Tips for Keeping Student Loan Debt Under Control During Covid-19

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Student loan debt was already a financial burden for many Americans, but the COVID-19 crisis has made it worse. It helps to understand what options are available for borrowers who are struggling to keep up with their student loan debt during this time of crisis.   

Federal Assistance and Forbearance

In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in light of the growing pandemic. The CARES Act includes certain provisions that lighten the burden carried by student loan borrowers. As of March 13, 2020, most federal student loans were put on administrative forbearance which means no payments were due, beginning March 13, 2020 and ending September 30, 2020.

student loan debt

What Borrowers Should Know About Refinancing Student Loan Debt

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If you are facing reduced income as the coronavirus spreads, keeping up with your bills may become increasingly challenging—especially if you are among the more than 43 million people in the US who have student loan debt.

Student loan borrowers regularly receive email advertisements regarding the possibility of saving money on their loans by refinancing their student loan debt. The possibility of saving thousands in student loan interest paid on the debt is tempting, but not every refinancing option is legitimate. However, for borrowers who are paying on loans with rather high interest rates, refinancing through a reputable source can be an excellent way to lower how much interest they pay in the end.

student loan debt, Student Loans

Entering Retirement with Student Loan Debt

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An alarming number of Americans are entering retirement with student loan debt. Normally, student loan borrowers are between the ages of 18 to 39. However, a 2017 report issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, showed that people over the age of 60 are the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. population carrying student loan debt.

More than 2.8 million Americans over the age of 60 are carrying some type of student loan debt. This figure has skyrocketed from the 700,000 individuals reported in 2005. Between 2012 and 2017, the balance carried by people over the age of 60 nearly doubled from $12,100 in 2012 to $23,500 in 2017.

Debt Relief, student loan debt, Student Loans

An Alarming Number of Student Borrowers Have Made No Progress on their Loan Balances

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A disturbing number of student loan borrowers who began their repayment plans between 2010 and 2012 have made little to no progress towards reducing the principal balance owed on their student loans. According to a recent report from Moody’s Investor Services, 49 percent of student loan borrowers whose loan repayment plans began during that time have made no progress. Even worse, many of them have seen their balances grow.

This problem could be due to several factors, including poor job prospects and low salaries in their first jobs after graduation. Depending on the degree pursued by each borrower, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find a viable job that will allow the borrower to make appropriate payments to pay down their student loan debt.

Debt Relief, student loan debt, Student Loans

Changes Coming in 2020 for Student Loan Borrowers

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Student loan debt has reached an all-time high in this country with an estimated $1.6 trillion owed nationwide. Student loan debt is a major issue being discussed in the 2020 presidential race, and it is also an issue being addressed in the current legislative session. The U.S. Department of Education is also considering changes for student lending. No matter how you look at it, major changes are coming in 2020 for student loan borrowers.

These changes come at the height of the student loan debt crisis. According to a recent study from Politico/Morning Consult, more than half of American consumers consider student loan debt to be a major problem facing the country. In fact, student loan debt has now surpassed both credit card and auto debt. With the average college graduate walking away with $30,000 in student loans, which is up from $10,000 in the 1990s.

student loan debt

The Student Borrower’s Bankruptcy Relief Act Would Make It Easier to Wipe Out Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy

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Discharging student loan debt in a bankruptcy case has been an almost impossible feat for most filers. That is, unless they are able to meet the undue hardship requirements.  However, a new bill named the Student Borrower’s Relief Act of 2019 could potentially remove those roadblocks that have prevented borrowers from receiving relief in the past.

Bankruptcy offers the filer a fresh start where the individual can rid himself or herself of financial burdens that have been weighing him or her down for years. These debts normally include unsecured debt, including credit cards, personal loans or medical bills. However, if the bulk of the person’s debt is student loans, the filer would normally end up in the same situation even after the bankruptcy was over. While medical debt and credit card debt may have been discharged, the borrower would end up still carrying a large amount of debt. It is for this reason that many borrowers might avoid bankruptcy, seeing it as a no-win situation.

student loan debt

1,500 Former Students Will Receive Student Loan Debt Forgiveness by the Department of Education

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At least 1,500 former students from two closed for-profit schools will have their student loan debt forgiven following an investigation from the Congressional committee, as well as a class-action lawsuit.

The schools involved are the Art Institute of Colorado and the Illinois Institute of Art. These two schools followed several other for-profit college chains involved in similar scandals. The fallout began with Corinthian Colleges filing for bankruptcy in 2015 and ITT Educational Services closing one year later. Another for-profit institution, the Education Corporation of America closed in late 2018, leaving students who were attending the institutions with nowhere to go and thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

Debt Relief, student loan debt, Student Loans

Senior Education Official Resigns, Calls for Massive Student Loan Debt Forgiveness

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A senior official appointed by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has resigned, declaring the student loan system to be “fundamentally broken” and calling for the forgiveness of billions of dollars of student loan debt.

The official, A. Wayne Johnson, was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. This office manages the country’s outstanding student loan debt, which stands at an estimated $1.6 trillion. During his tenure, Johnson worked in a role specifically dealing with managing how student loans are serviced.

Bankruptcy Law, student loan debt

Betsy DeVos Faces Possible Jail Time for Failing to Forgive Student Loan Debt

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Department of Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, has been under fire for her failure to forgive student loans for more than 150,000 student loan borrowers. These borrowers have filed a lawsuit against both DeVos and the Department of Education, alleging they are being deprived of student loan forgiveness they have earned through the borrower defense.

DeVos has been accused of continuing to pressure former students of one of these institutions, Corinthian Colleges, Inc., to continue to pay their student loan debts. These same students say they were promised that their student loan debts would be forgiven under the borrower defense.