The SBPC is hosting an event looking at what state legislators, regulators, enforcement officials, and advocates must do to tackle the most pressing consumer protection issues facing student loan borrowers and help advance changes to fix our fundamentally broken student loan system.
Student loan borrowers are at a breaking point. 45 million borrowers collectively owe $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. The payment pause on federal student loans is set to expire on January 31, 2022. Emerging risks in the private student loan market and debts owed directly to schools threaten economic security for borrowers, and fallout from the pandemic continues to impact communities most deeply burdened by the student debt crisis.
Join us as state lawmakers, regulators, and advocates discuss how states can act to deliver robust protections for millions of student loan borrowers, ensure servicer accountability, address a host of challenges in the student loan market, and provide fair treatment for families with alternative education debts.
State Legislator Panel: 12:00 – 12:45 PM ET
Moderator:
- Winston Berkman-Breen, Deputy Director of Advocacy & Policy Counsel, SBPC
Panelists:
- Councilmember Christina Henderson, Washington, DC
- Senator Eloise Vitelli, Maine
- Representative Jennifer Bacon, Colorado
- Senator Kevin Thomas, New York
State Advocacy Panel: 12:45 – 1:30 PM ET
Moderator:
- Suzanne Martindale, Senior Deputy Commissioner, California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
Panelists:
- Beverly Brown Ruggia, Financial Justice Program Director, New Jersey Citizen Action
- Stephanie Sampedro, Student Loan Advocate, Washington Student Achievement Council
- Melanie Myers, Assistant Director, American Federation of Teachers
- Chuck Bell, Financial Policy Advocate, Consumer Reports