The student loan debt crisis in America has been a growing issue for years, but recently those suffering from student loan debt received a big win. President Biden announced a forgiveness of some student loan debt for eligible borrowers. Although, for many Americans the amount of the forgiven debt will be just a drop in the bucket in relation to the overall amount of their student loan debt. But what or who can help a struggling debtor with the remaining student loan debt? Can it be discharged in a bankruptcy? 

Since about 2000, college tuition has increased massively in most places. At the same time, banks have remained eager to lend these students lots of money, even as credit requirements elsewhere tightened. As a result, Americans now owe over $1.5 trillion in education debt. If everything goes as planned for recent graduates, paying off student loans is usually not a problem. Many people might have to put off large purchases for a few years, but that’s a price most are willing to pay.

But as we know, everything does not always go according to plan. That’s basically the reason that the United States has such a generous bankruptcy law. In most cases, the debtors simply miscalculated, and they deserve fresh starts.

The average debt-laden college graduate has almost $30,000 in student loans. That amount has increased 25 percent since 2008. Even with low interest rates and extended repayment periods, the monthly payment is often several hundred dollars a month. That’s a lot of money for anyone, and especially for young people. Quite understandably, many of these individuals delay major purchases and are overly-cautious with their money.

Are you one of the 44.2 million Americans with student loan debt? If so, you completely understand the enormous strain student loan debt causes to your financial well-being. For individuals between the ages of 20-30, the average monthly student loan payment is $351. $351 over the course of 12 months comes out to $4,212.

What is a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? How does it work? Could it be the answer to our national student debt crisis? Possibly! We have a conference call scheduled with Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office on February 17, 2016 to discuss this very possibility. Chapter 13 could be the answer to our Student Debt Crisis forever! Help us fight to free students from the bonds of student loans for the rest of their lives. 

The amount of student loan debt owed by Americans has surpassed the total credit card debt owed in this country. The cost of receiving a college education continues long after the student receives his or her diploma in the form of student loan payments.

Here at Kain & Scott, one of the most common debts that our clients struggle with is their student loans. Unfortunately, in most cases, student loans are not dischargeable in a bankruptcy case. You may think there is no hope in solving your student loan issues, but we want to assure you that bankruptcy CAN help you. Read on to hear a personal experience from a client who had unmanageable student loan debt.

In today’s world, a college degree has become a necessity to acquire a good job. More often than not, students start college right after completing high school. This typically means they haven’t had much time to begin saving up for their higher education. Unless their parents were able to put money away for them, most students end up taking out student loans to pay for the bulk of their education. Then, when they complete college they have a large amount of debt waiting for them; and, if they are unable to find a good paying job right away, troubles can begin escalating quickly. It doesn’t take long for student loans and their interest rates to spiral out of control.

When you file a bankruptcy, the end goal is to receive a bankruptcy discharge (a.k.a. freedom from your debts). The bankruptcy discharge releases you from the legal liability to repay all debts that are discharged through your bankruptcy case. Post-bankruptcy-discharge your creditors are prohibited from attempting to collect discharged debts, including but not limited to contacting you to request payment of a discharged debt, filing or continuing a lawsuit or turning the debt over to a debt collector for collection.