Monday, November 12, 2012

Crocodile Tears for Overburdened Student-Loan Debtors: Congress or the Obama Administration Should Do Something Tangible to Help These People


A recent article in the New York Times (Lewin, 2012) reported on the plight of older Americans who took out loans to pay for their children’s college education.   About 2.2 million people who are 60 years old or older owe on student loans, and the total amount of their debt is $43 billion. According to experts cited in the Times, almost all of these loans were taken out by parents to pay for their children’s education.  Parent Plus loans, loans taken out by parents for their children’s college education, now represent about 10 percent of all the federal student loan money that is borrowed.
Crocodile tears for the overburdened
student-loan debtor
Senior debtors who are in arrears on student loans can see their Social Security checks garnished.  So far this year, the federal government has garnished the Social Security checks of 119,000 people (as reported in the Times).  
President Obama and Governor Romney talked some about the federal student-loan crisis during the presidential campaign. President Obama made much of the fact that he pushed through the direct lending program for college students.  But neither President Obama nor Governor Romney offered any significant relief for the millions of people who are drowning in student-loan debt.  In my opinion, both men cried crocodile tears—expressing empathy and sympathy while proposing nothing that would give these sufferers some relief.
What can be done to help these poor people?
Proposal Number One. Congress should pass a law protecting people’s Social Security checks from garnishment for delinquent student loans. If Congress won’t do this, President Obama should stop the garnishment of Social Security checks by Executive Order, much the same way that he implemented the Dream Act, which Congress refused to pass.
Proposal Number Two. Overburdened student-loan debtors—including parents who went into debt to finance their children’s education—should have the same access to bankruptcy relief that is available to any other debtor who has unsecured loans.   Scholars have argued for this change in the Bankruptcy Code for many years.
Proposal Number Three. We’ve got to kick the for-profit colleges out of the federal student loan program.  The for-profit sector has the highest student-loan default rates, and many of them have engaged in unfair recruiting practices to attract students. Not all for-profit colleges are bad eggs, but there are enough problems in this sector to justify removing them from the federal student-loan program.
Our politicians can cry crocodile tears about the suffering being experienced by student-loan debtors who are unable to pay back their loans, but those tears won’t be genuine until the federal government in both the Executive and Legislative branches take tangible action to provide relief for student-loan debtors and their parents—and the action they need to take is painfully obvious.
References

Lewin, Tamar.(2012, November 11).  Child's Education, but Parents' Crushing Loans. New York Times.

3 comments:

  1. Please consider the following: in 2009, the Federal government changed the laws concerning student loan debt - it is not subject to bankruptcy forgiveness. Since the student loans were made from tax dollars I paid, I encourage my fellow Americans to honor their obligation, and pay it all back. Only 10% of the student loans are delinquent. 90% are paying back what they owe. I applaud the Federal government for requiring co-signers. The real question is: Is the education you are taking a loan out for really worth it? My son is studying "Game Art and Design" at a private art school. We are paying as he goes, so it may take him awhile to finish. May I offer this as a solution for others.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The great blog about Executive Education Loan.Thanks for sharing the blog,seems to be interesting and informative too.Could you help me to find more detail about Executive Education Loan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its great to know about this blog, Appreciate your efforts with such a valuable information provided. Could you help me to find out details about Executive Education Loans

    ReplyDelete