No Income? No Problem! How the Gov’t Is Saddling Parents with College Loans They Can’t Afford
As college costs continue to climb, families are turning to federal Parent Plus loans to fill the gap. But with no checks on their ability to repay, many parents are left overburdened, and others set up for failure. More »
How Financial Aid Letters Often Leave Students Confused and Misinformed
The Department of Education has a model financial aid award letter. It's very different from what schools are actually sending. More »
Grieving Father Struggles to Pay Dead Son’s Student Loans
The father, a gardener who earns $21,000, co-signed for his son's loans. Now, he can’t even find out who holds them. More »
Education Department Revamps Broken Disability Review Program
Despite the changes to its student loan program to help borrowers who've become disabled, the government declined to include a key reform. More »
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updates since last visitFamilies Shoulder Heftier Burdens as College Debt Swells
Student debt is putting a strain on students — and their parents. Meanwhile, federal programs to make student loans more affordable won't bring relief to all.
For Grieving Father Struggling With Dead Son’s Student Debt, Resolution Comes Four Years Late
A California gardener lost his son but was saddled with a crushing debt — and it was difficult even to learn who owned that debt. Four years later, he's finally reached a legal resolution.
Education Department Adopts Crucial Reform for Disabled Borrowers
After our investigation and public pressure, the department has conducted a sweeping overhaul of its troubled disability review program.
Another Way Student Loans Are Like Mortgages: Subpar Servicing
The companies handling private student loans — much like those handling mortgages — sometimes add to the frustration and even the debt load of struggling borrowers.
How Financial Aid Letters Often Leave Students Confused and Misinformed
The Department of Education has a model financial aid award letter. It's very different from what schools are actually sending.
No Income? No Problem! How the Gov’t Is Saddling Parents with College Loans They Can’t Afford
As college costs continue to climb, families are turning to federal Parent Plus loans to fill the gap. But with no checks on their ability to repay, many parents are left overburdened, and others set up for failure.
Banks’ Lending Frenzy Left Borrowers Buried in Student Debt, Report Details
In the run-up to the financial crisis, banks and other lenders made risky private student loans. In the years since, default rates have soared and borrowers are still suffering.
Education Department Revamps Broken Disability Review Program
Despite the changes to its student loan program to help borrowers who've become disabled, the government declined to include a key reform.
Grieving Father Struggles to Pay Dead Son’s Student Loans
The father, a gardener who earns $21,000, co-signed for his son's loans. Now, he can’t even find out who holds them.
Student Loan Borrowers Dazed and Confused by Servicer Shuffle
A little-known legal provision forces the federal government to award contracts to qualifying nonprofit student loan servicers, putting them in charge of managing millions of loans. The shuffle has thus far caused problems for some borrowers.
While White House Emphasizes Easing Student Debt Burden, Fed Contractors Play Hardball
President Obama has touted efforts to ease the burdens of student borrowers with federal loans, but some federally contracted collection agencies neglect to lay out borrowers’ best options.
Education Department Backs Away From Fix to Help Disabled Student Borrowers
The Education Department had promised to fundamentally overhaul its broken system for forgiving the loans of former students who've become disabled. Now the department says it can't and won't do it, leaving many disabled applicants stuck in debt.
Education Dept. Pledges to Overhaul Dysfunctional Disability Review Program
After a ProPublica investigation, the Education Department has promised to overhaul its broken system for forgiving the federal student loans of disabled borrowers.
The Reform for Disabled Borrowers That the Education Dept. Refuses to Adopt
The Education Department has resisted a basic reform to its troubled disability review that its own ombudsman has recommended since 2008 -- shut the program down entirely and rely on Social Security to decide who is eligible.
Education Department Bureaucracy Keeps Disabled Borrowers in Debt
Borrowers who become severely disabled are entitled to get federal student loans forgiven. But the program for deciding whether they qualify is opaque, dysfunctional, and according to government reports, redundant.
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Marian Wang, Reporter
@mariancw
Marian.Wang@propublica.org
Blair Hickman, Community Manager
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Blair.Hickman@propublica.org
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