Project on Predatory Student Lending

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Student Borrower Town Hall: What Now? Navigating Repayment, Relief, and Your Rights. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining ... Are you confused about what’s going on with federal student loans right now? You are not alone. Borrowers have been back in repayment for months — but questions, challenges, and confusion remain. Whet...

Don’t miss it! Register ASAP: ppsl-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

TOMORROW: Get clarity on your student loans.

PPSL’s Community Action Council is hosting a Student Borrower Town Hall on current repayment options and resources, the latest on Borrower Defense and Sweet case updates, and upcoming changes to #studentloans.

📅 Wed, 9/24
🕖 7–8:30 PM EST
💻 Zoom

We are one week away from our Student Borrower Town Hall!

Behind on payments? Confused by policy changes? Waiting on Borrower Defense or Sweet relief? Learn more from PPSL attorneys.

Join us Wednesday, 9/24 at 7pm. RSVP here: ppsl-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Student Borrower Town Hall: What Now? Navigating Repayment, Relief, and Your Rights. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining ... Are you confused about what’s going on with federal student loans right now? You are not alone. Borrowers have been back in repayment for months — but questions, challenges, and confusion remain. Whet...

Get the tools and info you need to manage repayment, protect your rights, and stay connected to advocacy efforts.

Register here ➡️ ppsl-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Confused about federal student loans? You’re not the only one. Borrowers everywhere are facing repayment questions, policy changes, and uncertainty.

That’s why PPSL’s 2025 Community Action Council is hosting a Student Borrower Town Hall.
📅 Sept 24 | 7 – 8:30 PM EST | Zoom

Follow along for more and help by spreading the word: www.instagram.com/eddebtjustice/

PPSL is officially on Instagram! 👏 We’re joining to share updates on our litigation and advocacy, demanding accountability in #highered and influencing policy solutions to create a more just and affordable system.

This work is more important now than ever.

Student loan debt may be tougher to pay off after passage of Trump’s big bill - The Boston Globe Student loan restrictions in the new Republican tax and spending law could exacerbate the student loan crisis, and deepen racial and gender wealth gaps.

See the full impact here:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/20/m...

"Fewer people who are not already rich will be able to go to college."

PPSL's Eileen Connor spoke with @bostonglobe.com about the newly restricted access to federal student loans — pushing people of color and low-income students toward predatory private debt or away from #highered altogether.

Court Denies MOHELA’s Second Attempt to Dismiss Borrowers’ Lawsuit — Project on Predatory Student Lending Borrowers are suing the lender for failing to implement student loan discharges ordered by the Department of Education

“We will continue to hold MOHELA accountable until it does its job," said PPSL's Eileen Connor.

Read more: www.ppsl.org/news/court-d...

🚨 Another win for California student loan borrowers!

A federal judge denied MOHELA’s attempt to dodge accountability and dismiss Maldonado v. MOHELA — a lawsuit alleging the servicer failed to implement student loan discharges ordered by the Department of Education.

"If it hadn’t been for the CFPB, that really wouldn’t have happened. And it’s kind of uncertain what the future of this is in light of the status of the CFPB now.”

Find help with private student loans here ➡️ www.ppsl.org/privateloans

CFPB Pullback Shrinks Bankrupt Student Loan Borrowers’ Options Bankrupt student loan borrowers subjected to illegal debt collection efforts were long able to rely on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for help, but the agency’s retrenchment under the Trump ...

Bloomberg Law spoke with PPSL's Eileen Connor about the future of #highered without CFBP as a watchdog ➡️

news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-l...

Thanks to CFPB action, private student loan servicer Navient was prompted to allow borrowers to seek relief through its website.

Under the Trump administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has significantly pulled back its oversight on #studentloan servicers.

And we're already seeing the impact: Servicers are facing less accountability for illegally collecting on debts discharged in bankruptcy.

Parent PLUS Loans — Project on Predatory Student Lending Parent PLUS loans can be a lifeline for many families, but they come with serious risks.

The proposed bill could eliminate ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans—replacing them with one that excludes Parent PLUS borrowers.

While Congress deliberates, get ahead now and help spread the word. Then, learn more about how the Parent PLUS Program needs to be reformed here:
www.ppsl.org/parent-plus-...

What to do NOW:

✅ Consider consolidating your Parent PLUS loans and applying for ICR here: studentaid.gov/manage-loans...

✅ Learn more about IDR, and the pros and cons of consolidation, here: www.ppsl.org/parent-plus-...

🚨ATTENTION Parent PLUS Borrowers: Protect your loan options🚨

Congress' Reconciliation Bill could eliminate Income-Driven Repayment options for Parent PLUS borrowers. If you're not already enrolled in Income-Contingent Repayment, you could permanently lose access to affordable monthly payments.

The 2025 Community Action Council — Project on Predatory Student Lending A community-driven initiative to advance student borrowers’ rights and drive systemic changes in higher education

Alyse attended Arizona Summit School of Law — before it was found to be fraudulent. Learn more about the CAC and her story here:

www.ppsl.org/communityact...

PPSL’s Community Action Council was busy advocating in the community last week! 👏

Alyse Hammonds joined the @debtcollective.bsky.social Day of Action in Washington D.C. — sharing her experience with predatory lending and calling for change.

The OPM Industry — Project on Predatory Student Lending Understanding Online Program Managers - third-party (generally for-profit) companies that partner with higher education institutions to develop, market, and manage online degree program.

This isn’t new: We’re seeing this impact on quality of education and ownership misrepresentation throughout the Online Program Manager industry.

Check out the case of USC’s online Master of Social Work program (really owned by 2U) and learn more about OPMs here: www.ppsl.org/opm #UMassGlobal #OPMs

‘Almost feels like it’s false advertising’: Online university UMass Global could spell financial trouble for the state - The Boston Globe The online platform, acquired from a third party in 2021, is running a large debt that the University of Massachusetts is ultimately responsible for.

Read more from the @bostonglobe.com:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/24/b...

In 2021, the University of Massachusetts made a $130M bet. Aiming to expand access for adult learners, it acquired Brandman University—now a platform renamed UMass Global.

PPSL’s Eileen Connor says: “Our flagship public university is on the hook for things... in a way that could cost taxpayers.”

Cyber School Podcast Episode · College Uncovered · 05/22/2025 · 18m

That’s why she sat down with Jon Marcus and Kirk Carapezza on “College Uncovered” – a podcast by @hechingerreport.org and @wgbh.org – to share her story.

Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

“At first, everything was wonderful.”➡️ PPSL client Sabria Williams explains how a predatory, for-profit school flipped her notion of #highered upside down.

From a working mom excited about college to a discouraged borrower facing thousands of dollars worth of debt, Sabria is now calling for change.

The 2025 Community Action Council — Project on Predatory Student Lending A community-driven initiative to advance student borrowers’ rights and drive systemic changes in higher education

“I want to help alleviate the problem of student debt and how it affects underserved communities. I want to pay it forward,” said Eric.

Read more about the CAC’s mission to advance borrowers’ rights and drive systemic changes in higher education ➡️ www.ppsl.org/communityact...

Eric, one of PPSL’s Community Action Council members, attended the #4profit International Academy of Design and Technology to advance his career opportunities.

Instead, his #highered experience was riddled with fraud, gaslighting, and accruing interest payments. He's now calling for change.

The 2025 Community Action Council — Project on Predatory Student Lending A community-driven initiative to advance student borrowers’ rights and drive systemic changes in higher education

“I joined the Council to advocate and be a voice for others in my community.” Learn more about Lucinda’s story and the CAC’s work here ➡️ www.ppsl.org/communityactioncouncil

Meet Lucinda from Illinois—a Community Action Council member who is advocating for student debt justice and systemic change in higher education.👏👏

She attended DeVry University because it was “affordable and flexible,” but what she actually encountered was “red flags, salesmen, and abandonment.”

CAC in Action: Standing Up for Higher Ed Reform at the Department of Education Hearing — Project on Predatory Student Lending Members of PPSL’s Community Action Council, which launched earlier this spring, are already stepping into action—and up to the microphone.

Take a look at what they had to say and read more in our latest blog! ➡️ www.ppsl.org/news/cac-in-...

Our Community Action Council is already stepping into action, and up to the microphone.

At last month’s public hearing with the Department of Education, they shared their experiences overcoming predatory student loan debt and used the opportunity to call for #highered reform.