loan borrowers

Student Loan Discharges Approved In 99% Of Cases Under New Policy

The Biden administration this week released highly-anticipated data on a new initiative that makes it easier for borrowers experiencing hardships to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy.

The Education Department and the Department of Justice rolled out experimental guidance last fall to encourage cooperation between the government and student loan borrowers seeking bankruptcy relief. After a year, the program is showing clear signs of success.

“One year ago, we set out to simplify and improve the process for student loan borrowers in bankruptcy,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a statement on Thursday. “I am thrilled that our one-year review indicates that our efforts have made a real difference in borrowers’ lives by ensuring student-loan discharges are more accessible to eligible borrowers. We will continue working with our partners at the

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Biden Administration Makes It Easier To Have Debt Discharged Through Bankruptcy

Biden Administration Makes It Easier To Have Debt Discharged Through Bankruptcy
Biden Administration Makes It Easier To Have Debt Discharged Through Bankruptcy

AL DRAGO / POOL / EPA-EFE

While certain student loan borrowers can use the bankruptcy process to have their loans discharged, the process has been very cumbersome — but this might change thanks to new guidelines.

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In January, the Justice Department updated the attestation form that borrowers must complete to seek bankruptcy discharge of their federal student loans, Forbes reported. These changes include “tweaks to the reporting of monthly household income, clarifying instructions regarding when a borrower needs to provide additional information, new questions seeking details on whether a school closure impacted a borrower’s ability to repay their student loans, and more detailed information on a borrower’s student loan repayment, deferment, forbearance, and consolidation history.”

In addition, the updates stated that if the borrower is disabled, the disability does not have to be “permanent,” only “chronic” to potentially be a basis for a bankruptcy discharge.

This comes on the heels of the Department of Justice (DOJ), in conjunction with the Department of Education, issuing new guidance to simplify the process and establish standards for borrowers who seek

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It’s a ‘severe problem’ that student-loan borrowers are still facing roadblocks getting rid of their debt through bankruptcy, Elizabeth Warren says

It’s a ‘severe problem’ that student-loan borrowers are still facing roadblocks getting rid of their debt through bankruptcy, Elizabeth Warren says
It’s a ‘severe problem’ that student-loan borrowers are still facing roadblocks getting rid of their debt through bankruptcy, Elizabeth Warren says

Sen. Elizabeth Warren.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

  • Elizabeth Warren called on the Justice Department to restore bankruptcy protections for student-loan borrowers.

  • Borrowers currently have to prove a difficult standard in court to get rid of their debt.

  • Biden’s administration has promised reform, but the process continues to be slow-moving.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is renewing the call to restore bankruptcy protections for student-loan borrowers.

Last week, President Joe Biden took a major step in providing relief to millions of borrowers by announcing up to $20,000 in student-loan forgiveness for those making under $125,000 a year. While that relief is expected to wipe out balances for 20 million borrowers, the majority will still have debt balances that some might seek to discharge in court through bankruptcy. But doing so has historically been very difficult, and Warren wants Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure bankruptcy becomes a viable route to providing relief.

“To support the administration’s efforts to overhaul the student loan system and ensure that bankruptcy relief is a viable option for borrowers in severe financial straits, it is critical that you issue and implement this updated guidance without delay,” Warren wrote in a Thursday letter

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