Category Archives: Our Blog

U.S. Department of Education Collection Complaint System Needs Massive Improvement

Posted on May 7, 2012

Today, the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Borrower Loan Assistance Project released a new report: Borrowers on Hold: Student Loan Collection Agency’s Complaint Systems Need Massive Improvement.    Overview: The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) relies on an increasing … Continue reading →

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Federal Student Aid and Financial Need: Are Pell Grants Sustainable?

Posted on April 29, 2012

As Stephen Burd of Education Sector writes in a recent report, the federal student aid programs initially focused on providing resources to those who would not be able to attend college without the help.  This has changed over time to … Continue reading →

Follow-up to Mr. A’s Story

Posted on April 23, 2012

Thanks to all of you who have responded to the story about my client Mr. A.  Many of you have asked why Mr. A has not tried rehabilitation or consolidation to get out of default.  We have discussed these options … Continue reading →

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Older Borrowers and Student Loans: One Client’s Experience

Posted on April 21, 2012

This is dedicated to my client Mr. A in hopes that he will keep his dignity and not lose hope. Some basic facts about Mr. A:  He is 83 years old and a veteran of the Korean War.  His sole … Continue reading →

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Give Older Student Loan Borrowers a Break

Posted on April 12, 2012

A recent Washington Post article highlights the numbers of older individuals struggling with student loan debt.  The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published new data showing that Americans 60 and older still owe about $36 billion in student loans. We have cautioned … Continue reading →

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Bankruptcy and Fairness for Struggling Students

Posted on March 24, 2012

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Court held a hearing this week on “The Looming Student Debt Crisis:  Providing Fairness for Struggling Students.”  In our testimony, we focused on the importance of restoring … Continue reading →

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Paying Attention to “Non-Traditional” Students

Posted on March 1, 2012

The current debate about student loan debt generally spotlights the struggles of young college graduates.  The image of a young adult, unable to find a job, maybe even moving back in with her parents, often comes to mind because this best … Continue reading →

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New Developments in Challenging For-Profit School Abuses

Posted on February 23, 2012

In NCLC’s January 2012 report, “State Inaction“, we called on state regulatory agencies and Attorney Generals to challenge for-profit school abuses in their states. State action is an important complement to effective federal oversight. Fortunately for students, there are many … Continue reading →

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Recent Changes to Federal Student Aid Programs

Posted on January 27, 2012

Congress made a number of changes to the federal student aid programs at the end of 2011.  This legislation passed without much substantive debate because it was part of the budget process.  President Obama signed the legislaton on December 23, 2011 … Continue reading →

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Operational Problems at the Department of Education: What Is Going On?

Posted on January 26, 2012

We wrote in December about operational breakdowns at the Department of Education, focusing on the Department’s failure to properly place borrowers in “forced consolidation” into IBR.  Shockingly, the Department has yet to fix this problem.  Department staff now tell us … Continue reading →

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