Student Loans | featured news

We thought we’d dodged a bullet. When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that student loan debt had passed the $1 trillion mark my first thought was one of relief since our last child is graduating from college next month. Even though his tuition has almost doubled during his tenure as a student at the University of California, we were fortunate that he will be able to graduate without student loan debt. That may change in the future if he decides to complete a graduate degree, but my husband and I wiped our brows with a collective sigh of relief.

Bankruptcy lawyers have a frightening message for America: They’re seeing the telltale signs of a student loan debt bubble that is placing increased financial pressure on families struggling with their children’s mounting debt. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, more than 80 percent of bankruptcy lawyers have seen a substantial increase in the number of clients seeking relief from student loans in recent years.

On recent initiatives, President Obama used his executive authority rather than seeking legislation... During a three-day Western trip that ended Wednesday, Obama announced initiatives that could help 1.6 million college students repay their federal loans, 1 million homeowners meet their mortgage payments, and 8,000 veterans find jobs.

An expansion of the income-based college-loan repayment program is expected on Wednesday, lowering monthly payments and allowing some loan consolidation.

As Occupy Wall Street protesters and their anti-bank message pick up momentum, among the unofficial list of grievances is a demand to have creditors forgive student loans. But a new survey suggests Americans are split on the idea, and education analysts say it would duplicate the same bad behavior the protesters are decrying.

Some private liberal arts colleges are offering graduates help repaying loans.

Total student loan debt exceeds total credit card debt in this country, with $850 billion outstanding, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher ...

Student loan provider says layoffs are imminent after president signs new student loan overhaul bill into law.

Big changes in the student loan program will help make college more affordable for students and their debt load more manageable ...

The measure ends billions of dollars in subsidies paid to commercial banks for making federally backed student loans in which they bore almost no risk, and expands direct federal loans to students instead.