student loan forgiveness Archives - Page 4 of 4

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Debt Relief, Student Loans

Student Debt Relief Scams Targeting Borrowers

Posted on May 31, 2016by Admin

If you are struggling with student loan debt, you’re not alone. The FTC and the State of Florida announced lawsuits against two “alleged” student loan debt relief agencies. Consumer Assistance Project and Student Aid Center promised to get borrowers’ loans forgiven or significantly reduced, according to the FTC.

Consumer Assistance targeted borrowers online and over the phone, claiming they would get relief through government or by disputing loans. Student Aid Center used radio ads, text messages, and featured ads in search results, promoting “Obama Loan Forgiveness.”

But borrowers who paid the companies did not get their loans forgiven or even reduced. At most, the companies got borrowers’ loans put into deferment or forbearance, where loan payments are postponed, but interest still accrues.

Student Aid Center made certain situations worse by telling people to stop contacting their lenders and pay them, instead. Borrowers ended up paying thousands, but did not get the promised relief.

Student loan forgiveness programs are available in very limited circumstances. The FTC has the following new materials to help borrowers:

Student Loan Debt Relief explains how to spot a debt relief scheme, and what people struggling with student loans can do to help themselves.
Maria and Rafael Learn the Signs of a Debt Relief Scam tells the story of a couple trying to repay debt they accumulated for their daughter’s college education. It is the latest in a series of graphic novels to raise awareness about scams targeting Latin communities.
This list shows every company and individual ever banned from providing debt relief and mortgage assistance relief services by an FTC order.

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.

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

New York State Accepting Applications for Student Loan Debt Relief

Posted on January 8, 2016by Admin

In an effort to help ease the burden of student loan debt on its residents, New York has started accepting student loan forgiveness applications from borrowers who attended college in the state this past year.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s “Get On Your Feet” loan forgiveness program, which allows for up to 24 months of student loan debt relief to recent college graduates. The Get On Your Feet program supplements the federal Pay As You Earn repayment program, and allows college graduates living in New York to pay nothing on their student loans the first two years out of school. The program even goes a step further by paying its residents’ student loans for a maximum of 24 payments, equal to their monthly student loan payment amount.

“With this program, we are telling recent graduates: if you invest in New York’s future, we will invest in yours,” Cuomo stated. Helping students pay for college is critical to ensuring their future success. Students struggling with student loan debt are less likely to start a small business or buy a home, and the consequences of defaulting on these loans can be devastating.

To qualify, applicants must have earned their degree from a college or university in New York no earlier than December 2014, have an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 a year, and be enrolled in the Federal Income Based Repayment plan, Pay As You Earn.

Click here to read more on this story.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Find out the Jobs that Qualify You for Student Loan Forgiveness

Posted on April 17, 2015by Admin

Student loan debt is the second largest source of debt in America, behind home mortgages. Last year’s graduates entered into the job market with an average of $33,000 in student loan debt, the largest average debt for college graduates to date, according to an analysis by Edvisors.

Students do have options, such as deferment and income-based repayment plans to assist on a short-term basis. Some students have even turned to refinancing their student loans. However, there are some jobs that make you eligible for true student loan forgiveness.

Last year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau revealed that approximately 25 percent of the U.S. workforce employed by a public service employer may be eligible for student loan forgiveness.

Although there is no student loan forgiveness program for private student loans, the programs cover many different types of federal student loans. In addition, forgiveness programs vary depending on the type of federal loan.

The Department of Education has created a reference charge that provides all of the conditions that may lead to the cancellation or forgiveness of a federal student loan.

Teacher Forgiveness
One of the most common ways to qualify for student loan forgiveness is to work as a teacher in the public service sector or for a nonprofit organization. You must first work for five consecutive years in a designated elementary, secondary or educational service agency to be eligible for up to $5,000 of the total amount to be forgiven.

Up to 100 percent of a Perkins loan may be forgiven if you have served full-time in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school system serving low-income families. You may also qualify if you are a special education teacher for infants, toddlers, children or youth with disabilities. If you teach in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education or any other field determined by the state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers in your state, you may also be eligible for student loan forgiveness.

If you qualify, the following formulas may be applied:

• 15 percent canceled per year for the first and second years of service;
• 20 percent canceled for the third and fourth years of service;
• 30 percent canceled for the fifth year of service.

Public Service Employee Forgiveness
Direct Loans are the most common loan considered for forgiveness for public service employees. If you hold a Perkins or FFEL loan, you may need to consolidate your loans in the Direct Loans program to qualify. PLUS loans for parents and graduate students are part of the Direct Loans Program.

If you are employed with a federal, state or local government agency, entity or organization or a not-for-profit organization that has been designated as tax exempt by the IRS, you may qualify for this program.

You may also qualify if the following apply to you:

• You have made 120 on-time, full scheduled, monthly payments on your Direct Loans after October 1, 2007. If you have consolidated your Perkins or FFEL loans, the 120-payment cycle must begin after the loans are consolidated;
• You have made those 120 payments under a qualified repayment plan;
• While you have made each of those payments, you must be working full-time at a qualifying public-service organization.

Click here to read more on jobs that may qualify you for student loan forgiveness.

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 of 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 http://www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Avoid Making these EXPENSIVE Student Loan Mistakes

Posted on September 5, 2014by Admin

Student loans have become a necessary evil for many students wanting to attend college or graduate school these days. A number of students fall into the gap of being “Too Poor to Afford College, Too Rich for Financial Aid.” There are two detrimental mistakes that many graduates are making when it comes to their student loan debt.

1.) Delaying the Inevitable. There are very few ways to get out of paying your student loans, even with the student loan forgiveness programs available. Waiting to pay back your loans, just allows them to grow. Interest will accrue and the debt will grow over time. Even waiting 1-2 years after graduating could cause your loan balance to increase by 10%. So instead of waiting until you earn more money or find a better job, negotiate with your lender to work out a repayment program that works for you.

Ask your lender if you qualify for any income based repayment plans or pay as you earn programs. In many cases, you could have $0 repayment until you start earning more money. This will help you map out a plan to have your student loan debt forgiven after a set number of years, and also keep your payments manageable until then. It is estimated that roughly 5 million borrowers qualify for these income based repayment plans or pay as you earn programs. However, only about 700,000 borrowers are enrolled in these programs.

2.) Paying for Student Loan Help you do not need. More and more businesses are entering the “Student Loan Forgiveness” and “Student Loan Consolidation” market. It’s a booming business! Unfortunately, many of these can be classified as student loan scams. These companies advertise on TV and radio that they can help struggling borrowers qualify for student loan forgiveness programs or lowering their monthly payments through consolidation.

What many of these companies are doing is charging borrowers anywhere from $200 to $1,500 (or more) a month to fill out paperwork that you can fill out yourself. Instead of paying these companies, call your student loan provider yourself. For Federal student loans, the servicing companies have very specific rules they must follow for offering repayment plans, forgiveness programs, and consolidation. Bottom line, you should NEVER pay for student loan consolidation out of your own pocket. If you have Federal student loans, you can get a consolidation loan for free through StudentLoans.gov.

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 of 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 http://www.miamibankruptcy.com