Social Security

Letters & Memos

Jul 25, 2022

130+ Groups Send Letter to White House Calling for Extension and Expansion of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment Student Debt Relief Programs

A coalition of 134 diverse advocacy organizations urge Biden to extend and expand the PSLF Waiver and IDR Adjustment programs.

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News Clips

Jul 25, 2022

The Biden administration is considering forgiving the student debt for millions of Americans. Here’s why

The U.S. Department of Education has also not made good on many of its promises, said Persis Yu, policy director for the Student Borrower Protection Center.

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News Clips

Jul 24, 2022

Biden’s Education Department is delaying the release of a student-loan repayment plan intended to lower your monthly bills

Persis Yu, policy director and managing counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center, said in a statement that “distressed federal student loan borrowers are left waiting for President Biden to make good on his promise of delivering relief.”

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Press Releases

Jul 22, 2022

Delaying the Income-Driven Repayment Rule is Further Evidence of a Dysfunctional Student Loan System

In response to the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that it will delay its IDR proposal, SBPC details the impacts on the lowest income student loan borrowers and those experiencing financial hardship from default.

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News Clips

Jul 21, 2022

134 Groups Urge Biden To Extend Expiring Student Loan Forgiveness Initiatives, While Top Officials Tell Borrowers To Apply Now

A coalition of over 130 organizations wrote to President Biden on Thursday, urging him to extend temporary student loan forgiveness initiatives and the student loan pause that are set to end within a matter of weeks.

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News Clips

Jul 21, 2022

Lawmakers propose bill to give public workers ‘second chance’ at student loan relief

The number of applicants actually receiving loan relief from PSLF has been low. “Just 1 in 5 of the 1.3 million borrowers pursuing debt discharge through PSLF are on track to see relief by 2026, according to a September report by the Student Borrower Protection Center.”

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Fact Sheets

Jul 21, 2022

State-Based Student Loan Ombudsmen

Check out our list of state-based Student Loan Ombudspersons and Student Loan Advocates to see their name and contact information.

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Press Releases

Jul 21, 2022

130+ Groups Push White House to Extend and Expand Access to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment Student Debt Relief Programs

134 organizations send a letter to Biden urging immediate action to expand the PSLF Waiver and IDR Adjustment programs—alongside a new analysis indicating the powerful impact of the PSLF Waiver.

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Blogs

Jul 20, 2022

The PSLF Waiver Has Been a Huge Success, and It May Be Just Hitting Its Stride. Why End It?

The PSLF waiver has been a phenomenal success—and it may just be getting started in delivering its powerful benefits. The Biden Administration should take the commonsense step of preventing it from expiring.

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Blogs

Jul 19, 2022

OPM Contracts Reveal Risks for Students and Universities

In a new paper, we analyzed hundreds of contracts between colleges and online program managers. What our analysis revealed about the risks OPMs might pose to students and the powers schools are handing over to private contractors is concerning.

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News Clips

Jul 16, 2022

The student-loan crisis is facing a shake-up — and lawmakers are worried Biden’s Education Department isn’t ready to handle it

“…recent analysis from the advocacy group Student Borrower Protection Center found that while 9 million public servants were eligible for student-loan forgiveness, only 2% of them had gotten their debt wiped out since November 2020 — and fewer than 15% had filed paperwork to track their PSLF progress.”

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News Clips

Jul 13, 2022

Scams Lurk in Ads on Google Searches for Student Loan Relief

“The borrowers are just screwed,” Ben Kaufman said, director of research and investigations at the Student Borrower Protection Center. “They are made to be catnip for these scammers.”

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News Clips

Jul 8, 2022

Work at a school or nonprofit? You could erase student loans

“We’ve seen, throughout the 14 years, so many people set back by administrative hurdles and burdens [within the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program], not knowing they had access to this program or being told they couldn’t get access even though they worked in qualified employment,” said Kat Welbeck, Civil Rights Counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center.

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News Clips

Jul 6, 2022

More for profit schools are offering buy now pay later—is it a debt trap?

“There’s this deep and fundamental incompatibility with buy now, pay later and education financing,” says Ben Kaufman, director of research and investigations at the Student Borrower Protection Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for student loan borrowers. “Is there ever a worse place for that to be than higher education when there isn’t even collateral underlying the product?”

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Press Releases

Jun 30, 2022

Advocates Call for Continued Pause on Student Loan Payments As Families Face Record Inflation and Biden Weighs Action to Cancel Student Debt

176 Organizations Representing Students, Workers, People of Color, and Faith Communities Demand: “People with Student Debt Cannot be Required to Make Payments Toward Loans You Promised to Cancel.” June 30, 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, 176 organizations called on President Biden to extend the pause on federal student loan payments for tens of millions […]

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Blogs

Jun 27, 2022

Colorado’s Nation-Leading Work to Shine a Light on Shadow Student Debt Exposes Massive Risks for Borrowers

Less than a year after passing the Student Loan Equity Act, Colorado’s nation-leading work to shed light on shadow student debt reveals key risks.

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News Clips

Jun 27, 2022

Is ‘Learn Now, Pay Later’ Just Another Student Debt Trap?

“There’s this deep and fundamental incompatibility with buy now, pay later and education financing,” says Ben Kaufman, director of research and investigations at the Student Borrower Protection Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for student loan borrowers. “Is there ever a worse place for that to be than higher education when there isn’t even collateral underlying the product?”

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News Clips

Jun 22, 2022

Your College Choice: How to See If a School Is Legit

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Press Releases

Jun 16, 2022

New Report: Broad Support for Action to Cancel Student Debt Holds Steady Across Party Lines, Older Republican Voters Stand Alone in Opposition

Data for Progress (DfP) and SBPC release both a new report and a tracking poll showing sustained public support for action by Biden to cancel student debt for all borrowers.

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Letters & Memos

Jun 16, 2022

Borrower Voices on the Incomplete Promise of Relief through IDR: FFEL Borrowers and Forbearance Steering

This memo examines how the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts to remedy the failures of Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) could and should ensure that Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers get the full benefit of the adjustment.

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Social Security

130+ Groups Send Letter to White House Calling for Extension and Expansion of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment Student Debt Relief Programs

The Biden administration is considering forgiving the student debt for millions of Americans. Here’s why

Biden’s Education Department is delaying the release of a student-loan repayment plan intended to lower your monthly bills

Delaying the Income-Driven Repayment Rule is Further Evidence of a Dysfunctional Student Loan System

134 Groups Urge Biden To Extend Expiring Student Loan Forgiveness Initiatives, While Top Officials Tell Borrowers To Apply Now

Lawmakers propose bill to give public workers ‘second chance’ at student loan relief￼

State-Based Student Loan Ombudsmen

130+ Groups Push White House to Extend and Expand Access to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment Student Debt Relief Programs

The PSLF Waiver Has Been a Huge Success, and It May Be Just Hitting Its Stride. Why End It?

OPM Contracts Reveal Risks for Students and Universities

The student-loan crisis is facing a shake-up — and lawmakers are worried Biden’s Education Department isn’t ready to handle it￼

Scams Lurk in Ads on Google Searches for Student Loan Relief

Work at a school or nonprofit? You could erase student loans￼

More for profit schools are offering buy now pay later—is it a debt trap?

Advocates Call for Continued Pause on Student Loan Payments As Families Face Record Inflation and Biden Weighs Action to Cancel Student Debt

Colorado’s Nation-Leading Work to Shine a Light on Shadow Student Debt Exposes Massive Risks for Borrowers

Is ‘Learn Now, Pay Later’ Just Another Student Debt Trap?

Your College Choice: How to See If a School Is Legit

New Report: Broad Support for Action to Cancel Student Debt Holds Steady Across Party Lines, Older Republican Voters Stand Alone in Opposition

Borrower Voices on the Incomplete Promise of Relief through IDR: FFEL Borrowers and Forbearance Steering

EXPLORE MORE

Lawmakers propose bill to give public workers ‘second chance’ at student loan relief

The student-loan crisis is facing a shake-up — and lawmakers are worried Biden’s Education Department isn’t ready to handle it

Work at a school or nonprofit? You could erase student loans