January 29, 2019 While many for-profit schools previously tried to insulate themselves from lawsuits using forced arbitration clauses and class action bans, a rule that went into effect in October 2018 conditions school participation in the federal student loan program on agreement not to enforce these clauses against students with consumer claims. The Department has [...]

November 3, 2017 In August, a federal court approved a historic settlement in Salazar v. DeVos that could provide debt relief to as many as 60,000 students. Under the settlement, the Department and Guaranty Agencies are in the process of sending out notices and discharge applications to former students who attended "Wilfred Beauty Academy" (and [...]

Administrative disability discharge and bankruptcy are two important ways for borrowers experiencing hardship to eliminate their student loan debts. It is very difficult, but not impossible, to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. Most of the webinar will focus on the threshold questions to ask in considering whether to pursue bankruptcy discharge and tips for proving [...]

This will be the third session in a series of student loan webinars. This session will cover the basics on how to get federal student loan borrowers out of default, pros and cons of each method, and the various loan repayment options/eligibility for borrowers not in default. It will also include information about ongoing problems [...]

Advocates representing elderly homeowners that were left off of a reverse mortgage loan taken out by their spouses have been struggling to keep foreclosure at bay. For most surviving spouses, HUD is extending only the "Mortgagee Optional Election," wherein the mortgage servicer may assign the mortgage to HUD only if the spouse passes the Principal [...]

This was the second session in a series of student loan webinars. It provided an introduction to the different types of relief available to student loan borrowers who have been subjected to illegal, unfair, or deceptive school practices. It covered how to identify school-based claims, how to prepare closed school and false certification (ability-to-benefit) discharge [...]

This was the first session in a series of student loan webinars. It provided participants with a background on student loan issues. It covered the importance of providing services to borrowers with student loan issues and the consequences of defaulting on a student loan. It also provided an overview of the different types of loans, [...]