Students who took out their first federal student loan this past fall will someday be glad that they are only paying 3.86%. Just ask those of us whose loans were nearly double that percentage. But a new bill introduced in the Senate today by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren would allow student loan borrowers to refinance at the rates set for new borrowers by last year’s legislation. [More]
stafford loans
Federal Student Loans Affordable Again (For Now)
By 8.9.13
To all the incoming college freshman and other first-time student loan borrowers, you need no longer worry about paying 6.8% interest rate on the federal Stafford loan disbursement you’re about to receive, as today the President signed much-debated, long-delayed legislation that will only result in a slight uptick in interest rates for the coming school year, but could also go much higher in years to come. [More]
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: It’s Obscene That The Govt. Profits Off Student Loans
By 7.18.13
There were several sticking points that bogged down the U.S. Senate from quickly passing legislation that would provide a long-term solution to the problem of interest rates on federal Stafford student loans. Among these was whether the government should be able to charge a rate that would allow it to make a profit. [More]
Senate Reaches Tentative Deal On Student Loan Interest Rates
By 7.11.13
One day after failing to move forward on a one-year extension of low interest rates on federal Stafford student loans, the U.S. Senate has reportedly reached a tentative agreement that tie interest rates to the 10-year Treasury bond, thus resulting in a moderate increase in interest rates for students taking out their first loan this fall. [More]
Lawmakers Letting Stafford Loan Interest Rates Double, But Don’t Freak Out Just Yet
By 6.28.13
U.S. Senators are taking the next week off to relax, which means the June 30 deadline for figuring out a way to keep the interest rates on subsidized federal Stafford student loans from doubling will pass without even an attempt at a last-minute resolution. But some lawmakers aren’t so worried and say they’ll get it all resolved when they come back after the fireworks. [More]
House Passes Bill Tying Student Loan Rates To Treasury Notes
By 5.23.13
While Senator Elizabeth Warren pushes for legislation that would allow student borrowers to enjoy the same insanely low interest rates as big banks (for one year at least), the House of Representatives today passed a bill that would link the interest rates on federal student loans to the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. [More]
Sen. Warren Introduces Bill To Lower Rates On Student Loans To .75% For One Year
By 5.9.13
While commercial and personal borrowers are currently enjoying historically low interest-rates on loans, and big banks are able to obtain loans at less than one percent interest, student borrowers have had to fight against lawmakers looking to raise interest rates on federally subsidized student loans. With the rates on Stafford loans set to bounce back to 6.8% from 3.4% on July 1, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has introduced legislation that would actually lower that rate for one year to only .75%. [More]
Congress Doubles Up, Extends Student Loan Subsidies While Funding Transportation Programs
By 6.29.12
As we mentioned the other day, the clock was ticking on Congress to agree on an extension to subsidies that would keep interest rates from doubling on federal Stafford student loans, and that this agreement would likely be tied to a bill recertifying lawmakers’ authority to spend money on federal transport initiatives. Well, with a vote of 373-52 in Congress and 74-19 in the Senate, that bundle of legislation is now headed to the White House. [More]
Boehner: Congress Oh-So Close To Extending Lower Student Loan Interest Rates
By 6.27.12
The clock is ticking on the June 30 deadline for Congress to agree on a way to extend subsidies for federal Stafford student loans that would keep the interest rates from doubling to 6.8%. Now Speaker of the House John Boehner has said lawmakers are tantalizingly close to coming to an accord on the matter. [More]
Show Us How Much You Owe On Your Student Loan
By 6.8.12
On July 1, interest rates on federal Stafford student loans are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%, and lots of lawmakers in Washington seem to agree that the rates need to remain low, they can’t come an agreement on how to pay for it, meaning millions of students could be caught in the crossfire — and millions more could be added to the spreading ocean of student debt. [More]
Effort To Keep Student Loan Interest Rates Low Gains Bipartisan Support
By 4.24.12
Yesterday, presumed Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney mentioned his support for extending the current cap on interest rates for federal Stafford student loans, meaning that this is one issue both candidates appear to agree on. The question is, can something be done before those interest rates double in July? [More]
130,000 Students Petition Congress To Not Double Interest Rates On Stafford Loans
By 3.13.12
While interest rates on federal Stafford loans have stepped down over the last several years from 6.8% in 2007 to 3.4% for the current school year, that number is set to bounce all the way back up to 6.8% on July 1, leading 130,000 students to deliver letters to lawmakers in protest. [More]
