With federal student loans approaching $1.7 trillion, private student loans approaching $129 billion, strident consumer group advocacy, and national elections on the horizon, student loan origination and servicing continues to be a focal point for federal and state regulators.  In this episode, which repurposes a webinar, we first discuss recent developments at the Department of Education involving loan forgiveness, the framework for servicer accountability, preemption guidance, and new repayment plan. … Continue Reading

The CFPB recently released a report regarding higher education tuition payment plans that discusses prevailing practices and highlights certain CFPB concerns regarding consumer impact. The CFPB’s report was based upon (a) a review of hundreds of postsecondary school and college websites that contain publicly available information on tuition plans and related contracts, (b) consumer complaints submitted to the CFPB and Department of Education, and (c) interviews with consumers and meetings with industry participants.… Continue Reading

Last year, Kentucky enacted the Student Education Loan Servicing, Licensing, and Protection Act of 2022 (the “Act”), which requires student loan services to be licensed in Kentucky.  The Act took effect on July 13, 2023 (the “Effective Date”). 

On the Effective Date, the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions (“DFI”) released its new application checklist and made a license application available through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (“NMLS”). … Continue Reading

The Nevada Legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 332 (“AB 332”), which amends Nev. Rev. Stat. Title 55 relating to Banks and Related Organizations to add a new chapter regulating Private Education Lenders and Student Loan Servicers.  The provisions of SB 322 will become effective on January 1, 2024. 

AB 332 exempts the following entities from its requirements:

  • Banks;
  • Savings and loan associations;
  • Savings banks;
  • Thrift companies;
  • Credit unions;
  • The Nevada System of Higher Education;
  • The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; and
  • Any wholly owned subsidiaries of the above.
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Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Biden Administration did not have the legal authority to proceed with its plan to forgive approximately $400 billion in federal student loans.  After reviewing the background of the two cases, we first look at the majority opinion authored by Chief Justice Roberts and discuss the majority’s legal analysis for concluding that the Missouri Attorney General had standing to challenge the plan, that the HEROES Act’s text did not authorize the Secretary of Education to forgive the loans, and that the “major questions” doctrine should be applied to assess whether Congress had given loan forgiveness authority to the Secretary. … Continue Reading

On June 30, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court announced long-awaited opinions in two cases challenging the Biden Administration’s authority to proceed with its plan to forgive approximately $430 billion in federal student loans.  Most significantly, in Biden v. Nebraska, the Court held that the state of Missouri had standing to challenge the federal action, and that the Biden Administration’s loan cancellation plan was not authorized under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act).… Continue Reading

On February 28, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard nearly four hours of oral argument in two separate cases challenging the Biden Administration’s authority to proceed with its plan to forgive approximately $400 billion in federal student loans.  After reviewing the background of the two cases, we look at the three key issues: the plaintiffs’ theories for why they have standing to challenge the plan, the Administration’s reliance on the HEROES Act as authority for the plan, and the applicability of the “major questions” doctrine to the Court’s analysis. … Continue Reading

The CFPB has issued a new bulletin (2023-01) titled “Unfair Billing and Collection Practices After Bankruptcy Discharges of Certain Student Loan Debts.”  The bulletin warns servicers that they risk engaging in a UDAAP violation by resuming collection of student loans that were discharged through the regular course of a borrower’s bankruptcy.… Continue Reading

On September 9, 2022, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) proposed to amend its student loan servicing regulations, which we previously covered  here.  After reviewing public comments, on January 6, 2023, the DFPI released a Notice requesting an additional round of public comments on a modified set of regulations.  … Continue Reading

The New York state legislature is currently considering a pair of companion bills which would impose detailed notice and records requirements upon student loan servicers.  New York Senate bill S5136B, which was passed by the New York Senate earlier this year, and New York House bill A6226B, which is currently under consideration with the New York Legislature’s Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee, would require “creditors and debt collectors” to provide certain written disclosures to borrowers or cosigners of private education loans at the time of the first collection communication (or within five days after the first communication). … Continue Reading