In this edition of WalletHub's "Ask the Experts" series, we touch base with a number of renowned education finance experts to examine possible solutions to the growing problem posed by private student loan debt.
Roughly 12 of the 20 million people who attend college each year borrow money to do so, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Given the rising cost of education and the stagnant job market, it’s not surprising that outstanding student loan balances currently exceed $1 trillion.
It’s also natural to wonder if student loans could become the next sub-prime mortgages. They’re relatively easy to get, after all, and the amount of unpaid debt is prodigious.
Income-based repayment, loan forgiveness, and debt consolidation options make that outcome unlikely, at least as far as federal student loans are concerned. But what about the $150 billion in outstanding private student loans – more than $8 billion of which is in default?
Not only are private student loan borrowers subject to the vagaries of variable interest rates and lender autonomy over fees, but they’re not granted the same repayment flexibility as their counterparts with federally-backed loans. In other words, there’s no real safety net when it comes to private student loans, and if borrowers don’t get good jobs right out of college, the funds that were supposed to be a gateway to successful careers could ruin their financial lives before they even get started.
That’s what led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to recently call for information on private student loans with the ultimate goal of presenting recommendations to policymakers. More specifically, the CFPB is seeking input on the following issues:
- How student loan burdens might impact the broader economy and hinder access to mortgage credit and automobile loans
- How distressed borrowers manage their student loan obligations
- What options currently exist for borrowers to lower their monthly payments on private student loans
- Examples of successful alternate payment programs in other markets and which features could apply to this market
- The most effective mechanisms for communicating with distressed borrowers
But why wait to see what they come up with when we can get a sneak-preview now? Why not help find a solution, especially since the economic impact of student loans extends beyond simply those who lend and borrow?
We asked the following student loan experts what they think is needed to foster a healthier landscape, and we’ll be sure to share what they have to say with the CFPB. You can check out each expert’s insights by clicking on their name or simply jump to our Takeaways section for a quick synopsis.
Meet The Experts
Mark Kantrowitz has a unique perspective on the student loan market, not only as publisher of FinAid, but also given his position on the board of trustees for the Center for Excellence in Education and on the editorial boards of both the Journal of Higher Education and the Council on Law in Higher Education, among other accomplishments. As such, he has some definite ideas about what can, should, and ultimately will be done to fix the student loan market as well as which proposed ideas would be practically ineffectual.
For starters, while some pundits suggest that struggling student borrowers simply refinance their loans, that’s not really an option for private borrowers. The terms of private student loans depend on the borrower’s credit standing, you see, and people who are struggling to make payments are likely to have lower credit scores than when they started due to rising credit utilization as well as those very payment problems. Sure, neither federal student loans nor private student loans have pre-payment penalties – meaning you could conceivably take out a new loan to pay them off – but if the new loan’s terms are worse, what’s the point?
Other options are in order, and Kantrowitz took us through them, from steps to increase competition to the need for better disclosures.
Unfortunately, Kantrowitz says it’s unlikely Congress will restore the ability to discharge student loans in bankruptcy given its current political makeup. But why is it even necessary to involve politicians in the first place? Can’t lenders just use common sense and take what they can get rather than seeing borrowers default in droves?
Well, the fact that non-bank financial institutions fund their loans through securitization makes that tricky. Upon making student loans, these institutions transfer the loans’ titles into trusts, the shares of which are sold to investors. The lenders forfeit the legal authority to alter the terms of the loans in doing so, which means all of the investors would have to agree in order for payment compromises to be extended. That’s just not practically likely. Of course, the CFPB could conceivably buy the entire trust so as to institute payment plans and the like, but that could be a hard sell given the looming threat of a sequester and the country’s massive deficit.
This reality does present opportunity for deep-pocketed investors, however. If you could strike a deal to buy defaulted private student loans at pennies on the dollar, it figures you could turn a healthy profit simply by squeezing some sort of partial payment out of the borrowers. They might not have the funds to pay their total amounts owed, after all, but they could scrounge up some of it. Kantrowitz says he’s pitched this idea to several lenders, none of whom have actually gone through with it.
It will be interesting to see which of Kantrowitz’s ideas are ultimately put to action, as he is indeed one of the many industry insiders in talks with the CFPB about our options for the future.
Mayotte in turn theorizes that the CFPB will likely pursue changes to investment laws in order to give lenders a bit of leeway in working with borrowers without harming the interests of those people who own shares in student loan-backed trusts.
However, she also cautions against oversimplifying the student loan market’s myriad problems and trying to find a single magic pill to cure them. From Mayotte’s perspective, the struggles we’re seeing today are an amalgamation of economic forces, financial illiteracy, and misplaced expectations.
In the meantime, Mayotte offers two very sage pieces of advice for student borrowers: 1) it never hurts to ask your lender what options are available to you; and 2) finish school, if at all possible.
People, it seems, merely assume there’s no help available without actually exploring whether or not their hunch is correct. Given the variance in the terms of private student loan contracts, it really is difficult to forecast exactly what repayment leeway you have. Besides, lenders are people too and if they have an ability to cut you some sort of break, they might be inclined to do so, especially since it might be financially beneficial to them.
What’s more, the data clearly shows that borrowers who don’t get their degree are far more likely to encounter payment problems than those who do. The reason is obvious: While a down economy might make it harder for many college grads to find work, having no diploma will not only make it that much more difficult in the short-term, but they’ll also have fewer options once the landscape improves. Plus, taking out a student loan and not graduating is like paying for a meal at a restaurant without actually eating what you ordered. It just doesn’t make sense in non-emergency situations.
In addition to serving as the chair of the ABA’s Committee on Government Relations and Student Financial Aid, Heather Jarvis operates a website aptly named AskHeatherJarvis.com, through which she regularly interacts with student borrowers, offering whatever guidance she can in this constrictive landscape.
What about the limitations posed by securitization? Jarvis has an interesting outlook on that too, arguing that the lack of options in the private student loan market is a natural byproduct of its true purpose.
Ask the Experts
Takeaways
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- Problematic student loan debt has far-reaching economic implications: If you can’t pay off your student loan, you’ll probably have to also put off buying a house or a car, starting a family, etc.
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- Securitization of private student loans prevents repayment options: Lenders are often powerless to alter the repayment terms of private student loans, as they’ve been rolled into trusts and permission of all the investors would be required.
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- Congress could promote competition and compromise by allowing student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy: If lenders knew that bankruptcy discharge was an option for student borrowers, they’d be inclined to offer payment plans and offers in compromise.
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- Purchasing entire pools of private student loans would give the buyer the authority to offer amended repayment plans and potentially turn a hefty profit: If you’re able to buy defaulted student loans on the cheap, any money you eventually recoup through amended payment plans could quickly become profit. Congress or the CFPB could provide the funds to unlock securitized private student loans and essentially convert them into federal student loans, but even though doing so might be financially beneficial, the political climate makes it unlikely.
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- Struggling borrowers should always examine their student loan contracts with a fine-tooth comb as well as ask their lenders what repayment options are available: Borrowers who encounter payment problems too often assume there’s nothing that can be done to improve their situation. But it really doesn’t hurt to do a bit of research or ask someone. Your hunch might prove true, but then again it might not.
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- Don’t stop opening your mail: it’s common for delinquent borrowers to stop opening mail from their lenders, thinking the envelopes contain only past-due notices. However, those notices are often accompanied by literature about repayment options and other helpful resources.
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- Better disclosures and revamped counseling rules are the most likely student loan market changes: These steps will help prevent future borrowers from getting into trouble but will do little to alleviate the struggles of those currently having trouble with repayment.
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