The House Judiciary Subcommittee held a hearing a few days ago about the possibility of introducing legislation that would allow borrowers to discharge private loan debt in bankruptcy. As many of you were already aware, your fierce advocate was in attendance. Being there as the Promotional Writer and Director of Marketing was critical for FSLDM. It's just one of the many reasons why I'm urging everyone to donate money to help the cause. In order to get this movement off the internet and onto the Hill, we need more resources that will allow me to be present for hearings like this one. (And just to respond to any potential critics, I have been paying out of pocket to be a part of these events, and I'm struggling to make ends meet as a result of my student loan debt, too. In addition, I am seeking other forms of funding, i.e., corporate sponsorship and grants).
In any event, it was a successful day for raising awareness about our cause. The first panel had one witness, Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7th District of Illinois). After he testified, I caught him leaving the room. He was with Dr. Jill Hunter-Williams. Dr. Hunter-Williams is a Legislative Director and the main contact in his office for issues relating to Higher Education and the student loan crisis. (I'll provide analysis and a description of Davis's testimony in the second part of this discussion). Congressman Davis was polite, but we did not talk long. Nevertheless, it was long enough for me to let him know who I was representing ("a group of over 229,000 supporters," I said proudly).
There were several other connections I made. Most notably - because of political ties - was my talk with Lauren Asher, the President of The Institute for College Access and Success (aka TICAS.org). Ms. Asher testified as a witness on the second panel, and tried to persuade the Subcommittee to understand how there are many people struggling to pay their private student loans. I've sent letters to Ms. Asher on behalf of a few students, who I believe were grossly misled by their Financial Aid Offices. While she and I discussed those specific situations briefly, we spent more time discussing the larger problems related to the student lending crisis.
TICAS.org is a critical group with which to be in contact for three reasons:
(a) First, the founder of TICAS is Robert Shireman, who is now the Deputy Undersecretary of Education. In this role he is the senior adviser to Sec. Arne Duncan. That means TICAS has a direct line into the Obama Administration. (This reason alone was why I needed to attend in order to introduce myself to Ms. Asher. She knew I was coming as result of my success in reaching out to her colleague a few weeks ago).
(b) "The Project on Student Loan Debt" is one area of focus for their organization. They are therefore sympathetic to our cause and its supporters.
(c) Also, Ms. Asher if frequently cited in articles about student loan debt (here, here, and here , and those are just a few examples out of many more where she's quoted as a reliable media source). Unlike the College Board, they were not previously lenders and do not have any earlier or current ties to Sallie Mae.
FSLDM has a different take on how the student lending crisis ought to be solved, and Ms. Asher and I spoke frankly about that fact. However, our motivations are based upon a shared objective: TICAS and FSLDM both have an sincere interest in the well-being of students and graduates.(Incidentally, Ms. Asher is gracious and warm, as are her colleagues who attended the hearing with her. Indeed, all of them were enormously polite, friendly, and professional).
In addition to speaking with Ms. Asher, I also introduced myself - and our group - to two people who work in the Division of Affordable Higher Education at U.S. PIRG. PIRG is another good ally, and I look forward to building stronger relationships with this organization. But . . . and at the risk of sounding like a harp (!!), we desperately need donations for me to continue fostering these relationships and finding new points of contact.
There were also several student organizations in attendance, and I was able to meet Ms. Tiffany Munsell, the National Chair for the National Black Law Students Association, and Angela Peoples, who is the Legislative Director for United States Student Association. Our concerns intersect, and we were able to discuss possible ways of building an interconnected coalition of sorts.
While these individuals and their organizations may have different aims, we all agree that:
(1) There is a student lending crisis, and it can't be ignored
(2) Something needs to be done ASAP to help student borrowers drowning in student loan debt
All of these interactions were productive, and made me realize yet again that we are not the only ones concerned about the well-being of students and graduates. While our Facebook Page, "Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy, this blog, and Robert's website all demonstrate how many people are struggling with student loan debt, face-to-face interaction with like-minded individuals goes a long way. It inspires me to continue fighting, and reminds me that this problem is not contained within the technological boundaries of the internet. We were able to share similar stories, those troubling tales of countless people who can't find jobs, have resorted to taking the degrees they've obtained off their resume just to find a low-wage job, and so forth. Nixing advanced degrees is an emotionally difficult thing to do. After all, if you have a J.D., or a Master's, etc., you worked very hard to earn that degree. The last thing you wish to do is scratch it off your CV. But many are realizing that these degrees are hurting them in this current job market. That in and of itself demonstrates what a disastrous situation we are in.
What's even more emotionally hard? Declaring bankruptcy. The subcommittee members who treated such a decision as being easy and easily done are clearly unaware of just how difficult it is to do such a thing. (For most people there is a lot of anguish that goes along with making that type of decision). There also was an indication that a few of them perceive students through a rather distorted lens. Those who were against measures that would make private student loan debt dischargeable in bankruptcy have a problematic understanding of American college students. First, they seem to assume that they are all a bunch of young whipper-snappers. While the majority of students attending higher education institutions may be between the ages of 18-22, it's a well known fact that the non-traditional student population is growing by leaps and bounds. If I were to speak directly with some of the members on the House Judiciary Subcommittee, I would suggest - funnily! funnily! - that they stop believing Animal House is somehow representative of the way college students live (i.e., just to party and raise hell). The image of an irresponsible beer-swilling student is in many ways flat wrong. Of course it would be absurd to argue that students do not have parties, drink, etc. (some do these things far too regularly than others). But it's also important to be reminded of the fact that many college students are responsible, have at least 1 job if not 2 (so they can cover basic needs), and study hard.
Finally, a few people have been writing me messages via Facebook, urging me to change the way I have been speaking about bankruptcy vis-a-vis this present discussion. One person encouraged me to describe it as a "fresh start." I refuse to use that type of language. In fact, that is the worst rhetoric I could use. Why? Because those politicians who would be wary of such legislation, i.e., that would enable students to include private student loans in bankruptcy, would see that type of assertion as a way to justify their opposing stance.
Next up . . . more specifics on who testified, what they said, and why bankruptcy is a bad option and does not equal a fresh start.
Stay tuned.
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