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Student Loans Archive
Report and Briefs
Fact Sheet: Top 10 Ways New Rules on Borrower Defense, School Closures, and Arbitration are Worse for Borrowers , September 2019
Report: Inequitable Judgments Examining Race and Federal Student Loan Collection Lawsuits , April 2019 Press Release ; 2-Page Overview
Brief: The Dark Side of Payroll Withholding to Repay Student Loans , Feb. 11, 2019 (Press Release )
Report: Voices of Despair: Student Borrowers Trapped in Poverty When Government Seizes Their Earned Income Tax Credit Report and Press Release (2018)
Issue Brief: Federal Student Loan Relief after a Disaster: Your Guide to Short-Term and Long-Term Options , January 2018 (1-page Guide to Short-Term Relief with Two Quick Calls)
Report: Pushed into Poverty: How Student Loan Collections Threaten the Financial Security of Older Americans and Press Release (2017)
Issue Brief: Defend the Department of Education’s Borrower Defense Rule , January 2017
Report: The Sallie Mae Saga: A Government-Created, Student Debt Fueled Profit Machine (2014)
Report: Pounding Student Loan Borrowers: The Heavy Costs of the Government’s Partnership with Debt Collection Agencies (2014)
Report: Improving college success for poor students (2014)
Ensuring Educational Integrity: 10 Steps to Improve State Oversight of For-Profit Schools (2014) (also executive summary, charts, toolkit and press release ) Update: Step 2: Protecting Online Education Students (2015)
Going to School on Robo-signing: How to Help Borrowers and Stop the Abuses in Private Student Loan Collection Cases (2014)
Report: Improving college success for poor students (2014)
No Lost Causes: Practical Ideas to Help Low-Income Students Succeed in College (2014)
The Sallie Mae Saga: A Government-Created, Student Debt Fueled Profit Machine (2014)
Report: Pounding Student Loan Borrowers: The Heavy Costs of the Government’s Partnership with Debt Collection Agencies (2014)
Searching for Relief: Desperate Borrowers and the Growing Student Loan “Debt Relief” Industry (2013)
Borrowers on Hold: Student Loan Collection Agency Complaint Systems Need Massive Improvement (2012) and Update (2013)
Report: Searching for Relief: Desperate Borrowers and the Growing Student Loan “Debt Relief” Industry (2013)
The Student Loan Default Trap: Why Borrowers Default and What Can Be Done (2012)
Report: The Student Loan Default Trap (2012)
State Inaction: Gaps in State Oversight of For-Profit Higher Education: Report , Executive Summary , State-by-State Student Relief Chart , Press Release (2011)
Piling It On: The Growth of Proprietary School Loans And the Consequences for Students (2011)
Too Small to Help: The Plight of Financially Distressed Private Student Loan Borrowers (2009)
Income-Based Repayment: Making it Work for Student Loan Borrowers (2008)
Paying the Price: The High Cost of Private Student Loans and the Dangers for Student Borrowers (2008)
Finding A Way Out: Improving the Assistance Network for Financially Distressed Student Loan Borrowers (2007)
No Way Out: Student Loans, Financial Distress, and the Need for Policy Reform (2006)
Making the Numbers Count: Why Proprietary School Data Doesn’t Add Up and What Can Be Done About It (2005)
Testimony and Comments
Testimony of NCLC Attorney before U.S. Senate re: Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency , January 17, 2018
Legal Aid Coalition comments to the Dep’t of Education re: Proposed Deregulatory Rulemaking on Higher Ed Consumer Protections , Sep. 14, 2018
Group comments to DOE re: Proposed Regulations on Borrower Defenses and Use of Forced Arbitration by Schools in the Direct Loan Program, and Proposed Amendments to Closed School and False Certification Discharge Regulations , Aug. 30, 2018
Group comments in opposition to the Department of Education’s proposed rewrite of the Borrower Defense Rule , Aug. 30, 2018
Coalition comments to the Department of Education on Evaluating Undue Hardship Claims in Bankruptcy, May 22, 2018
NCLC comments on Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, February 23, 2018
Coalition comments opposing ED’s Interim Final Rule and Notice of Proposed Rule delaying implementation of the 2016 Borrower Defense Rule — a Rule intended to protect student borrowers from school fraud and abuse and abrupt closures , Nov. 19, 2017
Comments to the DOE re: Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; on Borrower Defense and Gainful Employment , July 12, 2017 and Consumer Groups’ Letter to Secretary of Education
Testimony of NCLC attorney Joanna Darcus before the U.S. Department of Education re: Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Public Hearings on Borrower Defense and Gainful Employment , July 10, 2017 and Press Release
Comments to Proposed Loan Discharge Applications , June 26, 2017
Group comments on the fees charged on campus debit cards, June 8, 2017
Testimony of Joanna Darcus before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure in Support of An Act Establishing a Student Tuition Recovery Fund , June 6, 2017
Comments from NCLC to the Department of Education on the Proposed Loan Discharge Application for Forgery , March 24, 2017
Coalition letter to Congress from 50+ organizations supporting rules designed to protect students and taxpayers from fraud and abuse in higher education , Mar. 22, 2017
Legal Aid Coalition Comments to the Department of Education re: Proposed Borrower Defense Application Form , Oct. 27, 2016
Comments from NCLC and 10 other legal aid groups to the Dep’t of Educ. re Proposed Regulations Regarding State Authorization of Distance Education Programs , Aug. 24, 2016
Coalition Comments of 41 student, veteran, civil rights, and consumer groups re: the Department of Education’s Proposals on Forced Arbitration, Class-Action Bans, and Mandatory Internal Dispute Processes , Aug. 1, 2016
Comments from NCLC and 16 other legal aid groups to the Dept. of Education re: Proposed Regulations on Borrower Defenses and Use of Forced Arbitration by Schools in the Direct Loan Program, and Proposed Amendments to Closed School and False Certification Discharge Regulations , Aug. 1, 2016
Coalition comments regarding borrower defense from 56 organizations that advocate for students, veterans, service members, civil rights, consumers, and college faculty and staff , Aug. 1, 2016
Coalition comments to U.S. Dept. of Education: suggestions for creating a system that promotes quality and consistent servicing , July 15, 2016
Comments to the New York State Education Department and Board of Regents Opposing Proposed SARA Rules , June 16, 2016
Group comments urging the FTC to retain and strengthen the Holder Rule , Feb. 12, 2016
NCLC’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project comments to the CFPB re: student loan servicing , July 13, 2015
Comments to the Massachusetts DPL regarding the Revised Proposed Regulations for Private Occupational Schools , Sept. 26, 2014
Comments on Program Integrity: Gainful Employment Proposed Regulations , May 27, 2014
Testimony to the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts Regarding Proposed For-Profit School Regulations , February 21, 2014
Written Testimony to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Higher Education in Support of An Act to Form a Commission on For-Profit Schools, June 8, 2011
Comments on Program Integrity: Gainful Employment Proposed Rule , September 8, 2010
Comments to the Department of Education on Program Integrity Issues Proposed Rules, August 2, 2010
SLBA Testimony About Program Integrity and Student Loan Reform, June 22, 2009
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission on Vocational School Guides, October 2009
Letters
Coalition letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee supporting passage of The Stop EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and CTC (Child Tax Credit) Seizures Act (H.R. 5114) to protect families’ opportunity for economic mobility, and their financial stability, Dec. 10, 2019
Coalition letter to the Senate strongly urging the immediate passage of S. 1279, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, to restore funding to serve students of color and native students, Nov. 22, 2019
Letter regarding the Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) requesting public records of the U.S. Department of Education regarding income driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness , July 1, 2019; Press release . Response from U.S. Department of Education .
Group letter to Sec. DeVos re: Harm to Defaulted Borrowers as a Result of System Wide Staffing Shortage, April 15, 2019
Coalition letter to Senators Hassan and Durbin in support of the PROTECT Students Act , April 2, 2019
NCLC replied to a letter by Senators Jones, Warren, Harris, and Cortez Masto requesting ideas on how to address racial disparities in student debt and the broader challenges faced by students of color in college and career training, Feb. 15, 2019
66 Organizations Urge House and Senate Appropriators to Protect Pell in FY19 Spending Bill , June 25, 2018
Letter opposing the House’s troubling HEA reauthorization bill , Feb. 5, 2018
Letter of opposition to HB 4508, the PROSPER Act , Dec. 11, 2017
NCLC’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project letter to the CFPB and U.S. Department of Education re: how the removal of the online Data Retrieval Tool might negatively impact student loan borrowers’ ability to renew Income-Driven-Repayment plans, April 14, 2017 || CFPB response letter , May 2, 2017
Coalition letter to Congressional Leadership re: Importance of CFPB to Protecting Student Loan Borrowers , Feb. 13, 2017
Coalition letter to President Obama recommending improvements to the new federal student loan complaint system , Oct. 25, 2016
Coalition Letter to Sec. King Calling for a Halt to Collection Against Former Corinthian Students and Automatic Student Loan Relief , Oct. 19, 2016
Coalition letter to Education Secretary King on impact of student loans on borrowers of color , Aug. 17, 2016 || Press Release
Coalition letter to Congress opposing amendments that would block the U.S. Dept. of Education’s gainful employment regulations , June 21, 2016
Comment letter to the Massachusetts State Senate Opposing Proposed SARA Amendment , May 23, 2016
Coalition Letter to Secretary King Supporting Department’s Commitment to Prompt and Full Implementation of Gainful Employment Rule , May 4, 2016
Coalition letter to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (ACICS) and the U.S. Department of Education urging the Department to deny accreditor ACICS’s application for recognition , April 8, 2016
Coalition letter urging New York State Commissioner of Education not to sign onto the Unified State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement because it does not adequately protect consumers from predatory for-profit colleges , March 14, 2016
Coalition letter urging Congress not to approve budget bill riders that would restrict the Department of Education’s ability to enforce consumer protection regulations applicable to for-profit colleges , Nov. 24, 2015
Coalition letter urging Department of Defense not to lift order barring University of Phoenix from any recruitment-type activities on DoD installations and suspending the payment of Tuition Assistance to new or transfer students , Oct. 27, 2015
Coalition letter opposing any appropriations riders that would block implementation of the Department of Education’s gainful employment regulations , Oct. 21, 2015
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Education Special Master Joseph Smith urging him to create a fair, transparent, and accessible process to assert defenses to repayment of their federal student loans , July 24, 2015.
Coalition letter urging the U.S. Department of Education to include information about whether a college is the subject of government investigations or lawsuits on the college comparison website it plans to develop , July 22, 2015.
Coalition letter urging the U.S. Department of Education to develop a proactive student-centered strategy to better protect students and taxpayers from education companies that may be breaking the law , June 3, 2015
78,000 Individuals and 50 Organizations Urge the U.S. Department of Education to Grant Debt Relief to Corinthian Colleges’ Students, May 19, 2015
Letter to the Secretary of Education regarding Debt Relie f for Corinthian Colleges Borrowers , May 5, 2015
Coalition letter urging the Department of Education to extend time period for closed school discharge eligibility and provide immediate and accurate information to students affected by recent Corinthian campus closures , May 1, 2015
Coalition letter opposing HR 970/S 559 (Foxx-Kline) which would repeal federal regulations enacted to protect students from for-profit college fraud, including gainful employment regulations , April 23, 2015
Statement on the Report of the Task Force on Federal Regulation of Higher Education , February 23, 2015
Group letter to U.S. Dept. of Education re: Corinthian Colleges sale to ECMC and loss of students’ legal rights by requiring students to sign forced arbitration clauses , Jan. 22, 2015.
Group letter to the CFPB, U.S. Dept. of Education, and U.S. Dept. of Justice re: proposed sale of 56 Corinthian Colleges campuses to ECMC Group , Dec. 17, 2014
Letter to Secretary Duncan re: Protections for Corinthian College Students , June 30, 2014
Coalition letter to Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, regarding Department of Education’s proposed gainful employment regulations , May 27, 2014
Written Statement of Deanne Loonin to the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure Office of Private Occupational School Education Regarding the Proposed Adoption of 230 CMR , March 28, 2014
Coalition letter to the President calling for a strong and prompt gainful employment regulation , February 4, 2014
Press Releases
Advocates Applaud Senate Vote to Restore Rule to Protect Borrowers from School Fraud and Closures , March 11, 2020
Statement Regarding CFPB and U.S. Department of Education MOU on Handling Student Loan Borrower Complaints , Feb. 4, 2020
Advocates Applaud U.S. House Vote to Restore Rule to Protect Borrowers from School Fraud and Closures , Jan. 16, 2020
Advocates Condemn U.S. Department of Education Delays on Student Debt Relief for Disabled Veterans , Nov. 22, 2019
National Consumer Law Center Advocate Statehttps://nclc-old.ogosense.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=14028&action=editment Opposing Sen. Alexander’s Legislation to Reform Higher Education Act , September 26, 2019
Education Department Erects New Barriers to Relief for Students Harmed by School Fraud and Closures; Protects For-Profit College Industry at Expense of Students , August 30, 2019
U.S. General Accountability Office Report Misses the Mark on Income-Driven Repayment Plans , July 25, 2019
Statement Regarding Support of Bills to Relieve Student Loan Debt , July 23, 2019
National Consumer Law Center Attorney to Testify on June 11 before U.S. House Oversight Committee on Student Loan Servicing, June 10, 2019
National Consumer Law Center Sues U.S. Education Department to Obtain Copy of Student Loan Servicing Contract , Apr. 18, 2019
Press Statement of NCLC’s Persis Yu Regarding Report on Dept. of Education’s Sweetheart Deal for Student Loan Servicers , Feb. 14, 2019
After Multiple Lawsuits and Court Order, Education Department Finally Agrees to Provide Relief to Students Hurt By School Closures , Dec. 14, 2018
National Consumer Law Center Files FOIA Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Education , Nov. 16, 2018
Press Release: Statement Regarding Resignation of Seth Frotman, Student Loan O m budsman of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , Aug, 27, 2018
Statement of NCLC attorney Abby Shafroth re: U.S. Department of Education Proposal to Abandon Rule Protecting Students and Taxpayers from Schools that Fail to Deliver Value , Aug. 10, 2018
Press Release: Education Department Proposes New Rules that Would Make it Much Harder for Students Harmed by For-Profit Schools to Get Loan Relief , July 25, 2018
Press Release: National Consumer Law Center Advocates Applaud California Attorney General’s Lawsuit Against Navient for Shoddy Practices that Harm Student Loan Borrowers , June 28, 2018
Press Release: Advocates Condemn Move by Consumer Bureau’s Mulvaney to Shutter Student Loan Division that Uncovered Major Abuses by Predatory Lenders , May 9, 2018
Civil Rights Principles for the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act , April 2018
Press Release: Lawsuit Challenges Dept. of Education re: Delay of Rule to Protect Borrowers , April 19, 2018
Press Release: Students Defrauded by Marinello Schools of Beauty Obtain Belated Discharges After Filing Suit Against the Department of Education , April 10, 2018
Press release: S. Department of Education’s Plan to Protect Servicers and Debt Collectors that Lie to Borrowers , March 9, 2018
Press Release: Testimony of NCLC Attorney before U.S. Senate re: Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency, January 17, 2018
Press Release: Education Department Rolls Back Relief to Defrauded Corinthian Colleges Students , Dec. 20, 2017
NCLC Joins Legal Fight Student Borrower for Protections against Predatory Schools , Sept. 29, 2017
NCLC Attorney to Testify at U.S. Department of Education In Support of Important Protections against For-Profit School Fraud , July 10, 2017
NCLC Advocates Condemn U.S. Department of Education Blocking Important Protections against For-Profit School Fraud , July 6, 2017
Statement: NCLC Advocate Statement re: Education Secretary Withdrawal of Critical Student Loan Borrower Protections . April 11, 2017
Press Release: Statement re: CFPB Suit Against Navient Student Loan Servicer , January 18, 2017
Press Release: NCLC Advocates Applaud CFPB for Highlighting Older Student Loan Borrowers , January 5, 2017
Press Release: GAO Report Shows Draconian Consequences of SSA Offsets for Student Loan Borrowers , Dec. 20, 2016
Press Release: NCLC Advocates Applaud New Rules Designed to Better Protect Online Students from Predatory Schools , Dec. 16, 2016
Press Release: CFPB Report Shows Student Loan Rehabilitation Fails Many Borrowers , Oct. 17, 2016
Policy Brief: Stop Taking the Earned Income Tax Credit from Struggling Student Loan Borrowers , October 2016
Press Release: Advocates Applaud CFPB Action Against Bridgepoint Education for Predatory Student Lending Practices , Sept. 12, 2016
Press Release: NCLC Advocates Commend Department of Education’s Actions against ITT to Protect Students and Taxpayers , Aug. 26, 2016
Press Release: NCLC and NACBA Laud CFPB for Stopping Illegal Practices by Student Loan Servicers and U.S. Dept. of Education Debt Collectors , Mar. 8, 2016
47 Groups Call on Department of Education to Halt Federal Funding for Predatory Schools That Deny Students’ Legal Rights , March 4, 2016
Press Release: New Education Rules Will Protect Students from High Fee Campus Prepaid and Debit Cards , Oct. 27, 2015
Press Release: 78,000 Individuals and 50 Organizations Urge the U.S. Department of Education to Grant Debt Relief to Corinthian Colleges’ Students , May 19, 2015
Statement before the Middle Class Prosperity Project: Tackling the Student Debt Crisis , Apr. 2, 2015
Going to School on Robo-signing: How to Help Borrowers and Stop the Abuses in Private Student Loan Collection Cases , April 2014
NCLC Advocates Applaud CFPB Lawsuit Against ITT, February 2014
Advocates Applaud CFPB’s New Report on Private Student Loan Complaints, October 2013
CFPB Urged to Require Private Student Loan Modifications, Press Release , April 2013
Borrowers on Hold Report: Update, Press Release (2013)