Tag Archives: Student Lending

photo of a student borrower looking sadly at the sky - Photo by Matese Fields on Unsplash

Statement: Narrowing student debt cancellation in the Heroes Act leaves out millions and surrenders a key tool for economic stimulus

As Congress considers the next steps to rebuild the U.S. economy, student debt cancellation must remain a priority. Speaker Pelosi said that the third pillar of the Heroes Act is “putting much-needed money into the pockets of the American people.” Narrowing the student debt cancellation provisions in the HEROES Act surrenders a crucial tool to address this economic crisis that would do exactly that.

students in graduation cap and gowns - Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

Statement on the Student Loan Cancellation Provisions of the HEROES Act

The HEROES Act provides needed relief to the 45 million student loan borrowers in the U.S., tackling the ongoing economic fallout caused by the coronavirus with an approach that research shows would boost the economy overall. HEROES includes $10,000 in federal student debt cancellation, which would leave as estimated 16 million borrowers completely debt-free. It also extends the CARES Act suspension of student loan payments to September 2021, giving borrowers a chance to recover on the same timeline the economy is projected to need to return to pre-coronavirus productivity.

a student raises their hand in a classroom Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf on Unsplash

Sign-on letter: 69 orgs call for canceling student debt to tackle economic fallout

Today, 69 community, civil rights, consumer, and student advocacy organizations sent a letter to House and Senate leadership, urging them to include student debt cancellation in the next coronavirus package.  The letter also calls on leadership to extend the suspension of payments on federal student loans through March 2021, as current estimates indicate that the economy will not recover to pre-virus levels until the third quarter of 2021.

photo of a student borrower looking sadly at the sky - Photo by Matese Fields on Unsplash

News Release: Trump administration fails to offer meaningful student debt relief

The Trump Administration’s minor tweaks for some federal student loan borrowers are insufficient and fail to tackle the crisis. The Department of Education announced that borrowers with federally held student loans will have the option to suspend payments, but will need to contact their servicer in order to request it. This requires effort on the part of borrowers who are already under stress. This is coming at a time when many student loan servicers are closing call centers or reducing hours. Worse still, it leaves out some federal student loan borrowers whose loans are not federally held. 

a student with books - Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Joint Statement: Student Borrower Advocates Praise Senate Democrats’ Plan to Cancel Federal Student Debt

The 20 undersigned community, civil rights, consumer, and student advocacy organizations applaud the Senate Democrats’ student debt cancellation proposal. The plan will take decisive action to get immediate and impactful relief to millions of Americans. It will enable many economically distressed borrowers to focus on their own personal safety and that of others, while also freeing up extra dollars they can use to put back into the economy. 

News Release: AFR/CRL Poll Shows Voters Overwhelmingly Oppose Rollbacks of Student Loan Protections

Strong majorities across political parties show concern about the level of student debt in the United States and oppose the Department of Education’s and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) recent actions to weaken protections for students, according to a new poll released by Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).