Search Results: Student Loans

CFPB Enters Into Consent Order with Affiliated Education Financing Companies

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​On September 7, 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a group of affiliated education financing companies that provided students with income share agreements (ISAs) to finance postsecondary education.  The consent order resolves allegations that the companies violated ​the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Regulation Z…

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California Settles with Student Loan Debt Relief Company for Allegedly Collecting Illegal Fees

​On August 9, 2021, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced ​that it had entered into a settlement agreement with a Tustin-based student loan d​ebt relief company, resolving allegations that the company violated the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) when it collected illegal advance fees under the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). This settlement comes as the…

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Massachusetts AG Reaches Settlement with Bank to Provide Student Loan Debt Relief

On May 28, 2021, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy (Massachusetts​ AG) announced a settlement with a bank, acting as an agent for lenders, which requires the bank to permanently discharge debts and return payments made by certain former students of a regional for-profit university.  The settlement requires the bank to refund over $30,000 in recent loan repayments made by certain Massachusetts borrowers…

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FTC Settles Claims with Student Loan Debt Relief Companies

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On May 17, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced​ a settlement​ with several student loan debt relief companies and their respective owners.  The settlement stems from a complaint filed in 2019, in which the FTC alleged the companies charged illegal upfront fees and led consumers to believe the fees​ were going towards consumers’ student loans in violation of Sections…

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California Settles with Online School for Allegedly Deceptive Financing Practices

On April 26, 2021, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement with an online coding school, resolving allegations that the school engaged in deceptive acts and practices in violation of California’s new Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL). The school offers its…

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Minnesota AG Announces Settlement with Student Loan Debt Relief Company

On April 13, 2021, the Minnesota Attorney General Office (Minnesota AG) announced that it reached a settlement with a California-based student-loan debt-relief company resolving alleged violations of Minnesota’s Debt Services Settlement Act, Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act, Minn. Stat. § 325F.69, et seq.,​ and Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Minn. Stat. § 325D.43, et seq. The Minnesota…

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Pennsylvania AG Settles with Student Loan Debt Buyer for $2.6 Million

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On April 6, 2021, the Pennsylvania Attorney General (Pennsylvania AG) announced that it reached an agreement with a Texas-based debt buyer concerning a portfolio of student loan debt it purchased from a now-defunct for-profit college. According to the Pennsylvania AG, the debt purchaser purchased the portfolio of loans after the for-profit college abruptly closed in December 2018 due to…

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Washington State Court Rules that Student Loan Servicer Violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act

On March 5, 2021, the Washington Attorney General’s Office (AG) announced that a Washington State court ruled against a student loan servicer, finding that the servicer violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive conduct related to its representations related to a “co-signer release” program. The partial summary judgment order…

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California’s DFPI Launches Investigation and First Formal Enforcement Action

On February 3, 2021, California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced that it has commenced its first formal enforcement action and launched a separate investigation into student loan debt relief companies.  Goodwin previously provided an overview of three new California consumer finance laws that became effective in January 2021,…

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FTC Distributes $1.7 Million to Affected Consumers in Alleged Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

On February 10, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will begin distributing over $1.7 million to consumers that it claims lost money as a result of an alleged student loan debt relief scheme.  The payments are part of a 2018 settlement with a student debt relief group, previously covered ​by Enforcement Watch, that resolved…

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Massachusetts AG Settles Claims Against Federal Student Loan Servicer

On February 10, 2021, the Massachusetts Attorney General (Massachusetts AG) announced that it reached a settlement with a national federal student loan servicer, resolving allegations that the entity engaged in deceptive acts or practices in violation of state law related to its student loan servicing practices.  In particular, the Massachusetts​ AG alleged…

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California DFPI Files First Enforcement Action Against Student Debt Relief Company

On February 3, 2021, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced its first formal enforcement action against an Irvine-based student debt relief company.  The DFPI’s action alleges that the company’s student debt relief practices violated the California Consumer Financial Protection Law and Student Loan Servicing Act. According to the DFPI, for over three…

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California DFPI Launches Investigation Into Four Student-Loan Debt-Relief Companies

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On February 4, 2021, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) launched an investigation into whether four California-based student-loan debt-relief companies violated the new California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) and Student Loan Servicing Act (SLSA).  The CCFPL took effect on January 1, 2021 and expanded the DFPI’s regulatory…

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Financial Aid Services Company Ordered to Pay $14.7 Million in Deceptive Practices Lawsuit

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On January 26, 2021, a California federal judge granted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) motion for default judgment against a now-defunct financial aid services company.  The court also granted in part the CFPB’s motion for summary judgment against the company’s founder. The ruling resolves a complaint filed by the CFPB in 2015, previously covered ​by…

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Minnesota AG Settles with Student Loan Debt-Relief Company for Allegedly Unlawful Fee Collection

On January 14, 2021, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (Minnesota AG​​) announced that his office reached a settlement with a California-based student loan debt-relief company that allegedly collected unlawful fees from customers and made misrepresentations to them regarding its ability to forgive student loans. According to the Minnesota AG, the company allegedly made false promises to…

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CFPB Secures Consent Order Against Student Loan Servicer for Failure to Comply with 2015 Consent Order and Alleged Deceptive Acts and Practices

On December 22, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced​ that it had secured a consent order ​against a national student loan servicer based on its failure to comply with a 2015 consent order issued by the CFPB.  Specifically, the company misrepresented the minimum periodic payments owed by consumers on their student loans, misrepresented…

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Pennsylvania AG Halts Operations of Student Loan Forgiveness Company

​On December​ 16, 2020, the Pennsylvania Attorney General (Pennsylvania AG) announced ​a settlement with a California-based student loan forgiveness company for alleged violations of state consumer protection laws.  According to the Pennslyvania AG, the company used false advertising tactics and posted fraudulent customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website.  Further, the company…

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FTC Reaches Settlement with California-Based Student Loan Debt Relief Companies

​On November 19, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had reached a settlement with three California-based student loan debt relief companies and their founder after they allegedly misled consumers by falsely promising that their monthly payments would go toward lowering their student loan debt. ​The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District…

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