News
“Attacking the Concept of Debt” | Harvard Magazine
Only a few years ago, Douglas Jones, who worked night shifts as a security guard at a nursing home in Roxbury, was hesitant to spend even $10 more than his typical budget allowed. Payments on his student loan debt were being withdrawn directly from his bank account. If the balance was short—for instance, if Jones hadn’t managed to get 40 hours at his job that week—the bank charged an overdraft fee. The debt had ruined his credit score and he hadn’t had a credit card in years. “They were even taking money I didn’t have,” Jones says. “It was stressing me the hell out.” Along with millions of other Americans, Jones had fallen prey to the for-profit college industry, which is in essence a two-pronged system—federal loans at one end and for-profit schools designed to access those loans at the other.
Update | Two Project on Predatory Student Lending Alumni Testify to Department of Education
Two alumni of the Project on Predatory Student Lending testified to the Department of Education in support of the rights of borrowers treated unfairly by for-profit colleges to a fair, effective, and efficient process to get their federal student loans discharge
Update | Project on Predatory Student Lending Releases Poster Explaining Rights and Options of Students Who Attended Closed Everest Schools
LSC’s Project on Predatory Student Lending, along with the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project, released a poster showing rights and options of students at the two Massachusetts Everest schools, as well as other Corinthian-owned schools that closed or are in the process of closing.
Students Reflect on LSC’s Role in their Pursuit of Public Interest Careers | Blog
In a recent post on the HLS Admissions Blog, two students of the Project on Predatory Student Lending wrote about Building a Public Interest Career at HLS. They name four building blocks for a career in public interest law, including clinical work.
Update | Project on Predatory Student Lending Student Saves Client Over $40,000
The Project on Predatory Student Lending recently helped save a client over $44,000. A problem in his federal student loan consolidation left him with several defaulted loans. He came to the clinic because he was struggling to repay his loans, and because he did not understand why he still had defaulted loans after his consolidation.
Update | The Project on Predatory Student Lending Submits Comments Regarding the Upcoming Negotiated Rulemaking to Expand “Pay As You Earn”
On November 4, 2014, the Project on Predatory Student Lending of the Legal Services Center, in partnership with the National Consumer Law Center, submitted comments to the Department of Education arguing that more low-income people should be entitled to greater relief in repaying their student loans.