Student Loans: Some Issues To Consider

Originally published November 2, 2012

Although these are not the only aspects of student loan policy that will come up in the next legislative session, these issues will drive the discussion regarding student loans.

Student loan debt is being reported as the next big "mortgage crisis" and private student loan lenders will likely be receiving the same congressional attention that private lenders did during the mortgage crisis.  Although allowing students to declare bankruptcy on their student loans would likely cause a wave of bankruptcies, this policy will still be up for debate.  It could very well serve as a bargaining tool for reaching a middle-of-the-road legislative alternative.  A recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report on student loans will not necessarily be the impetus for a legislative fix, but it will serve as the foundation for scheduling hearings and framing the debate.