While the Department of Education looks ready to drop its program that forgives the debt of federal student loan borrowers who work for the government, one city is picking up the slack, saying it will help its workers pay down their student loan bills. [More]
Education
Teens Aren’t Getting Summer Jobs Anymore Because They’re Too Busy Studying
By 6.6.17
It was once a rite of passage for American teenagers: Spend the summer slinging burgers, watching over the frolicking kids at the local pools, hawking apparel at the mall, or babysitting for the neighbor in order to earn a few bucks. But it turns out that fewer teens are taking part in the tradition of obtaining a summer job, despite an apparent plethora of opportunities to do so. [More]
States To Education Secretary DeVos: Stop Delaying Loan Forgiveness For Students Deceived By Corinthian Colleges
By 6.5.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Two months after the Attorneys General from dozens of states sent letters to former students of defunct for-profit college chain Corinthian Colleges reminding them to apply for federal student loan discharges, a number of those same state officials are calling on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to stop delaying loan forgiveness. [More]
Court Temporarily Halts School’s Expulsion Of Student Who ‘Liked’ Racist Instagram Images
By 5.30.17
Four California high school students who were suspended earlier this year for their alleged support or complicity with a racist Instagram account will not immediately have to face the immediate possibility of expulsion or further disciplinary action after a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the school district. [More]
For-Profit Colleges Sue To Stop Rule That Protects Students Of Failed Schools
By 5.25.17
Federal regulations that aim to protect and refund student loan borrowers defrauded by their schools could end before they even go into place, thanks to a lawsuit filed by the for-profit college industry. [More]
Head Of $1.3 Trillion Federal Student Aid Office Resigns Amid Tension With Betsy DeVos
By 5.25.17
New Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is making sweeping changes to federal student aid programs, like taking away protections from borrowers and putting all loan servicing in the hands of one private firm. Now the top official at the Office of Financial Aid has resigned after reportedly butting heads with DeVos and warning his colleagues concerns with the Department’s management. [More]
DeVos Education Budget Could Make It Harder To Obtain, Repay Student Loans
By 5.23.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Days after the Department of Education revealed it would give all student loan accounts to one servicing company and strip away more protections for federal student loan borrowers, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos outlined the Department’s proposed budget, which goes even further by eliminating or completely overhauling programs intended to make student loans more accessible and easier to repay. [More]
Education Secretary DeVos To Give All Student Loan Accounts To One Company; Strip Away More Protections
By 5.22.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has made another sweeping change to the student loan system that consumer advocates claim favors student loan collectors over the American people repaying those loans. [More]
Lawmakers Ask Education Secretary DeVos To Explain Delayed Loan Forgiveness For ITT, Corinthian Students
By 5.18.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Thousands of former students at bankrupt for-profit schools run by ITT, Corinthian Colleges, and others are still on the hook for millions of dollars in student loans, even though the Department of Education approved their claims for a refund. Now, lawmakers want Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to explain why. [More]
Trump Administration Looking To End Student Loan Forgiveness Program
By 5.18.17
This October will mark the first time that student loan borrowers who have worked for 10 years with the government or a qualifying non-profit will be eligible to have their debts wiped clean. It may also be the last time, as the Trump administration is reportedly targeting this and other Department of Education repayment programs for elimination.
[More]
90% Of At-Risk Student Loan Borrowers Not Signed Up For Affordable Repayment Plans
By 5.16.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Paying back tens of thousands of dollars in student loan can be difficult, and more than 1 million Americans defaulted on their federal student loans just last year. But why are nearly all of these same borrowers failing to take advantage of programs to help them avoid defaulting again? [More]
The System To Collect Defaulted Student Loans Is No Longer Functioning
By 5.5.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Consumers who expected their student loan payments to be deducted from their bank accounts this month have reportedly found the funds untouched, and their calls to the companies unanswered thanks to a Department of Education’s order prohibiting the debt collection companies from working on default accounts in response to two lawsuits against the agency.
People Paying Back Student Loans Could Also Be Hurt By Outage Of FAFSA Tool
By 5.3.17
A Department of Education decision take down an online tool that helped student loan applicants file for aid isn’t just making things difficult on students. It’s also a problem for those who are repaying their student loans through a federal payment plan. [More]
Chipotle Offers Employees Accelerated Business Degree Program
By 5.2.17
Last summer, Chipotle joined the ranks of Pizza Hut, JetBlue, Starbucks, and others in offering to foot the bill — or at least some of it — to provide employees with a college education. Today, the company expanded that program, offering workers the ability to combine real-world experience with classroom time in order to earn a business degree in less than two years. [More]
Students Claim For-Profit College Operator Deliberately Let Their School Fail
By 5.2.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Former students at one for-profit college allege that the school’s parent company, Laureate Education, committed fraud by deliberately allowing their college to fail and close down. [More]
Purdue University Buys For-Profit Kaplan University, But Is It A Good Idea?
By 4.28.17
On the surface, Purdue University and Kaplan University don’t have a lot in common: One is a public university from Indiana and the other is a for-profit chain mostly offering online courses. But now they have one rather large thing in common: ownership. Purdue has purchased Kaplan — for a dollar. [More]
Complaints About Student Loan Servicing Increase In Nearly Every State
By 4.25.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Newly released complaint data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appears to support recent claims by nearly two-dozen states that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos may be making a big mistake by rolling back protections for student loan borrowers. [More]
21 Attorneys General Call Out Education Secretary DeVos For Removing Student Loan Protections
By 4.24.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
In response to the decision by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to roll back protections for student loan borrowers, a coalition of state attorneys general are accusing DeVos of failing America’s students. [More]
