New Rights and Relief for Federal and Private Student Loan Borrowers

No consumer law area is experiencing such fast changes:

• Steps to take for borrowers now at the end of the 33-month payment pause
• Fresh start for borrowers in default
• New relief for those seeking public service loan forgiveness
• Speedier loan cancellation for those on income-driven repayment
• Billions of dollars of loan cancellation for students attending predatory schools, and other categories of student loan borrowers
• Speedier and more complete discharges for borrower defense claims
• Automatic loan discharges for those on VA or Social Security disability
• Elimination of private debt collectors on federal loans

Comprehensive explanation of all student loan borrower rights:

• Financial hardship and other student loan deferments
• Income-driven repayment plans, including the new SAVE plan
• Options to get out of default using Fresh Start, consolidation, or rehabilitation
• Rights to stop tax intercepts, wage garnishments, and seizure of Social Security benefits
• Loan discharges based on school closure, deceptive practices, false certification of student eligibility, failure to make owed refunds, or borrower disability
• Minimizing collection fees
• Claims for predatory school abuses and deception
• Challenges to private student loan collection
• Litigation tactics and pointers, with a chapter on litigation against servicers, debt collectors, schools, and private lenders

Coverage of Multiple Types of Student Loans

• Federal Direct Loans, including Consolidation and Parent PLUS Loans
• Old Guaranteed Student Loans (FFEL/Stafford)
• Perkins Loans
• Private student loans

Praise

"The most important resource available to those of us in the field and the authoritative source on student loan issues. Many Philadelphians have received student loan help because of this manual." —Sharon Dietrich, Litigation Director, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia