The Washington Post reported yesterday that the latest congressional budget deal includes a provision to let companies collecting federal student loans (or other debts guaranteed by the government) call cellphones using auto-dialers. The purpose of the bill is to increase communications in an attempt to keep more student loan borrowers current in their debt.…
Articles Posted in Student loans
CFPB’s larger oversight role over student loans is needed – see report issued today!
New signs of trouble for student loan borrowers BY SETH FROTMAN Earlier this year, we asked you to share your stories about student debt stress. More than 30,000 of you responded, telling us that student loan servicers (the companies that send you a bill each month) can make it harder to manage your…
Student Loan Nightmares at For-Profit Schools: Have Accreditation Agencies Dropped the Ball?
In our Florida student loan law practice, we see everyday the nightmarish situations our former students have gotten themselves into. One this week has me researching the differences between national versus regional accreditation. I’ve been a lawyer for 20 plus years and I hadn’t even known what this meant. My…
Florida Consumers can Revoke Consent to Call a Cell Phone (and there is no exception for private student loan debt collectors, just saying)
Revocation of Consent One of the pressing issues in pending litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is whether a consumer can revoke consent to receive calls on a cell phone. The TCPA requires prior express consent before a consumer can be contacted on a cell phone using an…
National Collegiate Student Loan Trust Case Barred by Florida Statute of Limitations
Great news for Florida consumers with student loans! On April 21, 2015, the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, Bankruptcy Court issued a ruling on behalf of our client that a National Collegiate Student Loan Trust would be barred from pursuing student loans in Florida because the five year statute…
Bankruptcy Relief for Student Loans May Be Changing?
Today, a legislator introduced a bill to treat student loan debt as other unsecured debt in a bankruptcy filing. This would be huge! As everyone knows, a bill isn’t a law and it could be awhile, but if this gains steam, we may have some relief for graduates over the…
Senior Citizen Social Security Being Garnished for Old Student Loans?
I’m looking for someone fitting this description to help to publicize this problem – CNN Money is interested in doing a story – Please contact me if you know someone who would be willing to share their story and be interviewed. Plus I may be able to help… Stay tuned,…
Consumers have a Right to Prevent Robocalls! A Florida Law Firm Uses the TCPA to Settle Debts.
A three judge panel federal court ruled recently against Dell Computer when Dell continued to use an automated dialing system to make debt collection calls to a consumer. This consumer had written Dell asking it to stop calling her cell phone. Dell ignored the letter. The 3rd Circuit Court of…
New Regs for Disability Discharges of Student Loans Simplifies Process
There are new TPD (disability) regulations going into effect on July 1, 2013 to help our student loan clients in Florida and elsewhere. These new changes apply only to applications received after July 1, 2013. In a nutshell, the significant changes are designed to make an application much more streamlined!…
Should Student Loan Debt be Dischargeable in Bankruptcy?
Earlier this year, total student loan debt surpassed credit card debt for the first time ever. Student loan debt and the resulting high tuition are without a doubt in a huge bubble after having raised 800 percent in the past few years. After graduation, students are presented with the bill…