Domino: A Blog About Student Debt

For too long, the $1.7 trillion student loan debt crisis has hampered economic mobility and worsened inequities across our country—particularly for Latino students and families.

Nearly 8 million student loan borrowers were enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan in August 2024 when the 8th Circuit Court abruptly ripped it away from them. Here are just a few of the stories of financial harm and distress since.

2U, Inc.’s bankruptcy filing has broad implications for partnerships with third-party OPMs. Policymakers must ensure that educational quality is never compromised for corporate gain and that students have stronger protections and better oversight.

Over the last few years, SBPC has been sounding the alarm on the risks of university partnerships with Online Program Management (OPM) companies and how these for-profit entities harm students. Now, a report released by the California State Auditor has confirmed many of the worst concerns we have raised.

This is the kickoff blog for a deep dive series on how city, county, and state regulators can take on TRAPs using existing authorities to protect workers.

Policymakers need to “abort mission” and stop trying to sneak the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act across the finish line. It is bad policy and a bad deal for our most vulnerable students.

The practice of withholding transcripts harms Texans and the Texas economy. Twelve states to date have banned, or partially banned, this practice. Our study findings add support for more states, including Texas, to follow their lead

The Anti-Borrower states are at it again. A group of Republican-led states are now assailing the administration’s latest effort to make repaying student loans easier and more affordable. If the states succeed, it could throw the already overwhelmed federal student loan system into even more chaos.

A new consumer protection lawsuit in Maine illustrates the risks to students and challenges for the higher education sector, and serves as a call to action for regulators.

ED’s assertion that borrowers will deal directly with the federal government is alarmingly inaccurate and begs numerous questions that must be answered immediately.