student loan debt, Student Loans

Biden Administration Cancels Additional $55.6 Million in Student Loan Debt

The Biden Administration canceled an additional $55.6 million in student loans for 1,800 students who were found to be victims of fraud. This additional amount brings the total amount of student loan debt cancelled by the Biden administration to $1.5 trillion. 

Since entering office, President Biden has made it his mission to stand up for the thousands of students who were taken advantage of by for-profit colleges. This most recent effort was focused on students who attended Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty, and the Court Reporting Institute. Previously, the administration had approved loan forgiveness for students who attended ITT Technical Institute, the American Career Institute and Corinthian College. This is the first time the Department of Education has approved loan forgiveness for students attending for-profit schools not including these three.  

student loan debt, Student Loans

What $10,000 in Student Loan Cancellation Would Look Like

Lawmakers have been calling upon President Biden to move forward with an executive order that would cancel up to $50,000 in federally backed student loan debtOther amounts have been considered, the lowest amount being $10,000. How this cancellation would look across the country would vary, however, depending on the state and the borrower.  

According to the Student Loan Hero, $10,000 in student loan forgiveness would cost approximately $315 billion. This amount of loan forgiveness would erase outstanding student loan balances for 34 percent of all student loan borrowers, according to their review of Department of Education data.  

student loan debt, Student Loans

Beware of this Student Loan Debt Relief Scam in 2021

Student loan borrowers look for ways to save on their loan payments, including having their loans forgiven. However, for the 10 million student loan borrowers who were part of the recent Navient settlement, they now find themselves at risk of falling prey to a new scam.  

This recent Navient settlement came as part of a student loan forgiveness lawsuit. Navient is one of the country’s largest student loan providers, and while the settlement does not necessarily affect how much each borrower owes, scammers are targeting borrowers, by offering false claims of debt forgiveness.  

Coronavirus, COVID-19, Debt Relief, student loan debt

New Legislation Provides Student Loan Forgiveness to Frontline Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers on the frontlines are putting their lives at risk every day during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has many asking what can be done to financially help these dedicated individuals.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) plans to introduce new legislation that will do just that by forgiving outstanding student loan debt carried by these frontline healthcare workers. The legislation is titled The Student Debt Forgiveness for Frontline Health Care Workers Act. The hope behind this new legislation is that by forgiving student loan debt for these workers, a large financial burden will be lifted. Additionally, this incentive could possibly drive others to join the healthcare industry and continue the fight against COVID-19.

Debt Relief, student loan debt, Student Loans

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

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

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

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.

student loan debt, Student Loans

100,000 Borrowers Rejected for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness

Statistics have come out showing just how many borrowers who have applied for public service loan forgiveness have ended up being denied loan forgiveness.  It is estimated that more than 100,000 applicants have been rejected since the program began, which has many scratching their heads asking why so many borrowers are being rejected?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, as of June 30, 2019, 90,962 student loan borrowers submitted 110,729 applications for public service student loan forgiveness. Of these applications, a total of 102,051 have been processed while 8,677 remain pending. Only 1,216 of the over 102,000 applications submitted have been approved, leaving a total of 100,835 applications being rejected. These numbers mean that less than one percent of all applications have been approved.

Digging deeper into these numbers, only 845 borrowers have received a collective $52 million in public service student loan forgiveness. The average debt discharged is $61,592. Another 726 applications have been approved under the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which has given an additional 681 borrowers relief. However, a large number are still left without any recourse or assistance.

The reasons why so many applicants are being rejected vary. Fifty-five percent of them were because the borrowers failed to make all the required qualifying payments while 24 percent of them were due to missing information. Another 15 percent reportedly did not include “eligible” loans. Two percent were rejected due to employment date discrepancies, and another two percent were because the employer listed was not an eligible employer under the program.

If these issues are discovered early on, they can be remedied fairly easily. However, problems arise when the borrower does not discover this fact until years into the program.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program forgives federal student loans for borrowers who are full-time employees, working more than 30 hours per week, in an eligible federal, state, or local public service job or 501(c)(3) nonprofit job. The borrower needs to make 120 eligible on-time payments, as well. Over half of borrowers who were rejected failed to meet this specific requirement.

One of the requirements under the program is the borrower must complete the Employment Certification Form and submit it to the U.S. Department of Education whenever the person begins a job in public service, when he or she switches employers, and annually to ensure that the borrower is on track. Not submitting this certification form can result in the person not remaining on the right track to qualify for the program.

Additionally, borrowers must be enrolled in an income-based federal student loan repayment plan to qualify and must make 120 required payments while enrolled in this federal student loan repayment plan.  As these kinks get worked out, it is possible that the number of applicants who are approved for loan forgiveness will increase. At this time, however, the small amount that are being approved is less than encouraging.

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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

Another Broken Promise to Student Loan Borrowers: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Proves Unforgiving for Borrowers

A program that was once promoted as a way for student loan borrowers to receive forgiveness for their student loans is now coming under fire after it has been discovered that 99 percent of its applicants have been rejected.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program was created in 2007 and promised to cancel any remaining student debt for those who work government jobs or for non-profit organizations and have been making continuous payments on their student loans for 10 years.  Many teachers, public defenders, Peace Corps workers, and law enforcement officers have applied for the student loan forgiveness offered by the program.

It is estimated that over 73,000 borrowers have applied for debt forgiveness as of March 31, 2019, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.  However, only 864 of these borrowers have had their loans forgiven. In fact, only one percent of all Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) applications submitted were approved for loan forgiveness. This rate of approval leaves borrowers frustrated and confused as to why they worked so hard to qualify for a program that is now failing them.

Consumer advocates claim that the legislation was poorly written while others claim that mismanagement by loan servicers has led to the issues these borrowers are now facing.

According to the breakdown from the U.S. Department of Education, 16 percent of the denials were due to the borrower having the wrong type of loan while 25 percent were due to information missing in the applications.  In addition, 53 percent of applications were denied due to the borrower not making enough payments.

One of the major issues that borrowers are discovering is that while their loans are federally-guaranteed, they are actually privately owned.  Many law schools have been accused of offering only private student loans in their financial-aid packages but not clarifying this fact to the borrower. Congress has fixed this issue by eliminating federally-guaranteed private loans as of 2010, but if you are a borrower who took out one of those loans before that time, this fact may hurt your chances of qualifying for the loan forgiveness.

Government officials have also been accused of not properly educating borrowers on the requirements of the program or publishing clear guidelines on which employers qualify as a public-service organization and which do not, another issue that has resulted in denials for many borrowers.

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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, Student Loans, Timothy Kingcade Posts

99 Percent of Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Applicants Rejected

According to recent U.S. Department of Education statistics, more than 99 percent of people who have applied for available public service student loan forgiveness have been rejected. As of December 31, 2018, it was reported that 65,500 total applications for the public service student loan forgiveness program had been submitted. However, of this total, 58,000 applications had been processed with the majority of them resulting in denials. An additional 7,200 applications were marked as pending.

The program’s requirements are complicated, and not well-explained to qualifying borrowers.  Approval requires more than simply working in public service. The Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program is offered through the federal government and requires the borrower work full-time, meaning more than 30 hours per week, in an eligible federal, state or local public service job. The borrower can also work for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so long as the position is a full-time, eligible one. The borrower must make 120 eligible on-time payments to qualify.

Several different reasons were given for these denials. Seventy-three percent of these rejected applications were denied due to the applicant not meeting the “program’s requirements.” These requirements could mean either the borrower did not have student loans that were eligible for forgiveness, did not have qualifying employment, or did not make the 120 consecutive required qualifying student loan payments. Another 25 percent of these student loan forgiveness applications were denied because the applications were incomplete or had missing information on the employment certification form.

The report indicated that only 610 applications for student loan forgiveness had been approved and that 338 borrowers had received a collective amount of $21.1 million in public service student loan forgiveness. Less than 0.5 percent of the applications submitted were successful.

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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

President Trump Plans to End Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Program

The White House has released President Trump’s budget proposal for 2020, and many of the cuts take aim at the student loan debt crisis. Here are some of the specific proposals, which could affect borrowers’ ability to pay off their student loan debt.

  • The end to public service loan forgiveness. According to Trump’s proposed budget, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program would be eliminated. The effects could adversely impact members of the U.S. Armed Forces, police officers, firefighters, first responders, prosecutors, public defenders, and other public servants.
  • A change to federal student loan repayment. The number of income-driven repayment plans would be reduced to just one. Current plans, such as PAYE and REPAYE, allow borrowers to repay their federal student loans based on income, family size and additional factors, and can result in student loan forgiveness.  The changes would favor undergraduate borrowers who typically earn less than graduate school student loan borrowers. Monthly student loan payments would be capped at 12.5% of income and after 15 years of monthly payments, any remaining student loan debt would be forgiven.  This is five years earlier then the current income-driven repayment options. Graduate student loan borrowers would see the opposite effect – a five year increase to student loan debt repayment before their loans are forgiven.
  • The end to subsidized student loans. Subsidized student loans has traditionally meant that the government pays the interest costs on federal student loans while borrowers are enrolled in school. The rationale behind eliminating these type loans is to save the federal government money by collecting additional interest.  This could result in the cost of a higher education being that much more expensive due to additional interest costs.

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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.