Americans across the country are experiencing furloughs, layoffs, and other financial shock related to the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of student loan borrowers are struggling to understand their options and to manage their payments during this challenging time. The Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) has created resources and information to help borrowers manage their student loans along with new research and analysis to advocate for increased borrower protections.

The Webinar includes:

• What to do if you are furloughed or out of work

• Tips for enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan

• How to get out of default

• Options if you have private student loans

Experts will provide information on federal and state protections currently in place for New York students, as well as resources available to you during the crisis and growing recession. There will also be a Q&A session to answer participants’ most pressing questions about student loan repayment.

Speakers:

• Seth Frotman: Executive Director of the Student Borrow Protection Center, is the nation’s leading expert on the intersection between higher education finance, consumer protection, and public policy. Seth previously served as Assistant Director and Student Loan Ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he led a government-wide effort to develop consumer-driven policy reforms and protect millions of Americans with student debt

. • Mike Pierce: Policy Director and Managing Counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center. He is an attorney, advocate, and former senior regulator who joined SBPC after more than a decade fighting for student loan borrowers’ rights on Capitol Hill and at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

• Carolina Rodriguez: Director, Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP), Community Service Society of NY. She is a social worker and attorney who helps individuals manage their student loan debt. This includes helping borrowers determine their best repayment options, access public service loan forgiveness, get out of default, and resolve issues with lenders and services. (More info at: www.EDCAPNY.org or 888-614-5004)

• Sen. Kevin Thomas, Chair, Senate Consumer Protection Committee. As an attorney with the nonprofit New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Sen. Thomas spent years defending clients who had been unfairly targeted by large lenders--many of them minorities, students, or those with low incomes. In 2017 he led the fight in the Senate to pass the New York State Borrower Bill of Rights, and he is sponsoring additional legislation to improve the accountability of for-profit colleges.

Hosted by:

Evan Denerstein, Senior Staff Attorney, Mobilization for Justice

Chuck Bell, Programs Director, Advocacy, Consumer Reports on behalf of NYRL Student Loan Working Group

Registration link for webinar: Managing Student Loans During COVID-19 https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NcqMmxtERL6-OPZt1oplyw