States for Student Borrower Protection

This morning, we released new analysis showing how these private student loan collection practices are harming borrowers across the country—and hitting borrowers in Maryland particularly hard. Creditors are dragging Maryland borrowers into court for debt they often do not owe. Lacking the documents necessary to back up their claims, these...

For-profit schools have a long track record of engaging in fraudulent and deceptive tactics to entice vulnerable students to enroll—often charging significantly more than their nonprofit counterparts. Once enrolled, many of these students are pressured into taking out high-cost loans for what are often worthless degrees.

For too long, the student loan industry has sought to sell judges on exotic legal theories to absolve these companies of the consequences of their abuses and deny borrowers their day in court. Today’s amicus brief, co-authored with Montana Legal Services and National Consumer Law Center, is the most recent...

Testimony of Katherine Welbeck Before the California Assembly Select Committee on Student Debt: Student Debt Impacts on California Neighborhoods

Given growing evidence of widespread predatory practices across the student loan industry as federal regulators are charged with failing to to their job of protecting borrowers, the organizations co-sponsoring AB 376, the California Student Borrower Bill of Rights, are doubling down on their call to the state legislature to pass...

Today, New York Attorney General Tish James sued student loan giant Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, also known as PHEAA or FedLoan Servicing, for cheating teachers, nurses and other public service workers out of their right to loan forgiveness. In the face of mounting lawsuits and growing evidence of widespread...

States are on the front lines of the student debt crisis. State legislators and policymakers are among the first to hear stories of struggling borrowers, learn about industry abuses, and spot problems and trends in communities. Many states are also playing a critical role in overseeing student loan companies and...

Today, a coalition of national and local non-profit organizations joined together in filing an amicus curie brief in support of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office versus large student loan servicing company Navient.

Trump Administration’s Selection of Industry Insider for Nation’s Student Loan Watchdog Heightens Urgency to Pass AB 376 to Protect California Student Loan Borrowers Recent Revolving-Door Hire is Further Proof Washington is Failing to Stand up for Borrowers The Trump Administration’s appointment on Friday of a student loan industry executive to...

For the past two years, this country has seen huge rollbacks of protections for consumers—from attacks on servicemembers’ rights to rules that protect borrowers of color from discrimination. Each time we think we’ve hit rock bottom and start believing that it can’t get any worse, the Trump Administration pulls out...