With both houses of the Illinois General Assembly overriding the veto of Governor Bruce Rauner, the Illinois Student Loan Servicing Rights Act will become law. Surpassing the three-fifths supermajorities needed for an override, the Senate voted by a margin of 37-19 and the House of Representatives by 98-16. The Act takes effect on December 31,
Student Lending
FTC and State AGs Announce Crackdown on Student Loan Debt Relief Scam
The Federal Trade Commission, along with 11 states and the District of Columbia, just announced “Operation Game of Loans.” This is the first coordinated federal-state initiative targeting deceptive student loan debt relief scams. The nationwide crackdown encompasses 36 actions by the FTC and state attorneys general against bad actors that are alleged to …
Alleged Shoddy Recordkeeping Spells Trouble for One of Nation’s Largest Student Loan Owners
On July 19, the New York Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation into the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts, sending subpoenas to request information on every collection lawsuit filed by National Collegiate against residents of the state. National Collegiate, one of the largest owners of private student loan debt in the nation, has been aggressively…
Student Loan Servicer Agrees to $17.5M TCPA Class Action Settlement
On January 26, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana granted preliminary approval of a $17.5 million Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against Navient Solutions Inc.
According to the original Complaint, plaintiff Randy Johnson received multiple telephone calls on his cell phone from Navient, a student loan servicing and collection …
CFPB and State AGs Sue Largest Student Loan Servicer
On January 18, the CFPB and the state attorneys general for Illinois and Washington filed three separate enforcement actions against Navient Corporation and its related entities for violations of a number of consumer protection laws. Navient is the largest student loan servicer in the United States, servicing the loans of more than 12 …
CFPB Obtains Judgment in Excess of $500 Million Against Defunct College Chain for Student Lending Scheme
On October 27, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois awarded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau $531.2 million against for-profit college chain Corinthian Colleges, Inc. for what the Bureau described as a “predatory” student lending program that the company administered. Prior to its liquidation through bankruptcy earlier this year, Corinthian was one …
CFPB Files Lawsuit Against Nationwide Student Financial Aid Scam and Continues Crackdown on Student Financial Aid Industry
On October 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a complaint in the Southern District of California against Global Financial Support, Inc. and its owner and CEO, Armond Aria, for allegedly engaging in a nationwide student financial aid scam.
The Bureau claims that Defendants violated the UDAAP provisions of the Consumer Financial Protection Act when …
TransUnion Study Finds Student Loan Debt is Not Inhibiting Younger Consumers’ Access to Credit
Despite the rise in student loan balances over the past decade, a new TransUnion study found that student loan obligations have not inhibited younger consumers’ ability to access and repay other consumer credit categories, such as auto loans and mortgages, when compared to their peers without student loans.
According to TransUnion, this is contrary …
CFPB Issues Warning to Consumers and Springs Into Action Against Student Debt Relief Scams
On December 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an advisory warning to consumers about student loan debt relief companies. While the CFPB warns all student borrowers, in distress or otherwise, to steer clear of companies with aggressive marketing tactics that make promises that they can save student borrowers thousands of dollars on student loan…