In an op-ed appearing in The Hill on April 16, 2024, Abby Shafroth, co-director of advocacy at NCLC and Michele Shepard Zampini, senior director of college affordability at the Institute for College Access and Success, discuss the Treasury Offset Program, wherein the federal government can garnish a portion of borrowers’ wages and Social Security benefits and seize their tax refunds, including critical family resources such as the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. By seizing these funds, the government removes financial lifelines that reduce poverty for millions of families and act as a critical safety net.
“When a borrower defaults, the student loans meant to unlock the door to opportunity instead plunge them into a dystopian, punitive debt collection system that is more likely to compound their hardship than help them get back on their feet.”
Support NCLC
Please support NCLC's work to advance consumer rights and economic justice with a tax-deductible contribution today!
Donate