THE DICE IS LOADED AGAINST STUDENT LOANS. THEY ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO DISCHARGE THROUGH BANKRUPTCY; LOAN DEFAULTS, LATE PAYMENTS ARE CONSIDERED A NEGATIVE WHEN SEEKING EMPLOYMENT VIA CREDIT CHECKS AND WAGES/SALARIES/SOCIAL SECURITY CAN BE GARNISHEED. YET A DONALD TRUMP AND CORPORATIONS CAN DECLARE BANKRUPTCY MULTIPLE TIMES, CLEAR THE SLATE, AND START ALL OVER AGAIN.
GOOD, March 26, 2015
-▶ AMERICA'S STUDENT LOAN DEBT IS OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS. WHO OWES ALL THIS MONEY -- AND WHY? http://magazine.good.is/infographics/student-loan-debt-is-astronomical http://magazine.good.is/infographics/student-loan-debt-is-astronomical
Bloomberg Business April 27, 2015
-▶ THE SPECTACULAR COLLAPSE OF FOR-PROFIT CORINTHIAN COLLEGES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-27/the-spectacular-collapse-of-for-profit-corinthian-colleges
VIDEO REPORT
Democracy Now, February 25, 2015
STUDENTS LAUNCH HISTORIC DEBT STRIKE, REFUSING TO PAY BACK PREDATORY COLLEGE LOANS http://www.democracynow.org/2015/2/25/students_launch_historic_debt_strike_refusing
August 15, 2013 Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi
-▶ THE COLLEGE-LOAN SCANDAL: THE RIPPING OFF OF YOUNG AMERICA http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/ripping-off-young-america-the-college-loan-scandal-20130815
VIDEO REPORT
STUDENT LOANS NOW AT $1.2 TRILLION
PBS Newshour, February 23, 2015
DELINQUENCIES ARE RISING EVEN AS THEY FALL FOR OTHER DEBT WHY AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH SMALL DEBTS http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/american-students-struggling-defaulting-small-debts/
CommonDreams, February 17, 2015
-▶ SEN BERNIE SANDERS: "WE NEED REVOLUTION IN WAY HIGHER EDUCATION IS FUNDED" - "Because of the high cost of higher education, many bright young people can no longer afford to go to college and millions of others are leaving school saddled with debt," he said. "This is absurd. This is absolutely counter-productive to our efforts to create a strong economy " http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/17/sanders-we-need-revolution-way-higher-education-funded
ProPublica
-▶ COLLEGE DEBT Total outstanding college debt is estimated at $1 trillion dollars – higher than the national credit card debt -- and with costs still soaring, the burden on students and their families shows no signs of abating. We're examining how the complicated system of college debt is putting the squeeze on families. http://www.propublica.org/series/college-debt
July 20, 2012 Common Dreams
-▶ PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN LENDING PARALLELS SUB-PRIME LENDING SCANDAL http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/07/20-0
August 6, 2012 Jim Hightower: Truthout
-▶ TURNING COLLEGE STUDENTS INTO COMMODITIES http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/10715-turning-college-students-into-commodities
July 2, 2012 ProPublica
-▶ BANKS' LENDING FRENZY LEFT BORROWERS BURIED IN STUDENT DEBT, REPORT DETAILS http://www.propublica.org/article/banks-lending-frenzy-left-borrowers-buried-in-student-debt-report-details
--- WATCH ---
August 20, 2013 Democracy Now
VIDEO REPORT
MATT TAIBBI: U.S. STUDENT LOAN BUBBLE SADDLES A GENERATION WITH DEBT AND THREATENS THE ECONOMY http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/20/matt_taibbi_us_student_loan_bubble
MedicalPress, January 27, 2015
-▶ STUDENT LOANS TAKE EMOTIONAL TOLL ON YOUNG ADULTS http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-01-student-loans-emotional-toll-young.html
Huffington Post, December 06, 2014
-▶ US SENATE DEMOCRAT, TOM HARKIN, WANTS TO TAKE MONEY FROM COLLEGE STUDENTS TO PAY REVILED LOAN CONTRACTORS http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/06/tom-harkin-pell-grants_n_6278920.html
Alternet, April 01, 2014
-▶ HOW PREDATORY COLLEGE LOANS ARE BANKRUPTING THE FINANCIAL FUTURE OF AMERICA'S YOUTH http://www.alternet.org/education/how-predatory-college-loans-are-bankrupting-financial-future-americas-youth
VIDEO REPORT
PBS Newshour, August 26, 2014
RETHINKING COLLEGE: STUDENTS FACING CRUSHING DEBT - WALL STREET ENJOYING RECORD LOW INTEREST RATES NOT SHARED WITH COLLEGE LOANS http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/wisconsin-group-wants-turn-student-borrowers-activists/
-- WATCH --
Moyers Moment (2012):
HEATHER McGHEE ON STUDENT DEBT:
While young people are paying as much as 18 percent interest on private student loans, “the banks are getting, basically, a zero-interest loan from the government.” http://billmoyers.com/2012/04/25/moyers-moment-2012-heather-mcghee-on-student-debt
-▶ AND MORE ON STUDENT LOANS FROM BILL MOYERS AND COMPANY http://billmoyers.com/search-results/?q=student+loans#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=student%20loans&gsc.page=1
Nation of Change, May 12, 2014
-▶ HIGHER ED, NOT DEBT: A COALITION TACKLES AMERICA'S STUDENT FINANCIAL CRISIS http://www.nationofchange.org/higher-ed-not-debt-coalition-tackles-america-s-student-financial-crisis-1399897898
WATCH
Democracy Now, June 10, 2014
IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? NEW DOC "IVORY TOWER" TACKLES HIGHER ED'S UNSUSTAINABLE SPENDING -- STUDENT DEBT - A GROWING CORPORATE BUSINESS The cost of a college degree has grown by over 1,120 percent in the past three decades, far surpassing price hikes for food, medical care, housing, gasoline, and other basics. Coupled with $1.2 trillion in student debt, the U.S. is facing a crisis that threatens not just the economy but the nation’s education system itself. http://www.democracynow.org/2014/6/10/is_college_worth_it_new_doc
Bloomberg Businessweek, January 16, 2014
-▶ STUDENT LOANS, THE NEXT BIG THREAT TO THE U.S. ECONOMY? http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-16/student-loans-the-next-big-threat-to-the-u-dot-s-dot-economy
TruthOut, February 23, 2015
-▶ DEBT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION : SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS: GOLDMAN SACHS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CAPITAL APPRECIATE BONDS SCAM: Remember when Goldman Sachs sold derivatives to Greece so the government could conceal its debt, then bet against that debt, driving it up? It seems that the ubiquitous investment bank has also put the squeeze on California and its school districts. http://truth-out.org/news/item/29241-swimming-with-the-sharks-goldman-sachs-school-districts-and-capital-appreciation-bonds
HuffingtonPost, December 26, 2014
-▶ A LOOK AT THE 'DOUBLE LIVES' OF AMERICA'S HOMELESS COLLEGE STUDENTS : More than 58,000 homeless college students in America today
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/26/college-student-homeless-boston_n_6145980.html
HuffingtonPost, November 06, 2014
-▶ INCENTIVIZING THE BEAST: WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD BEFORE: THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT ENDORSES WINDFALL TO STUDENT LOAN SERVICERS NOT BORROWERS: SLAMMED BY SEN ELIZABETH WARREN. The U.S. Treasury Department praised a move, already panned by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), to increase the amount of money the federal government pays its student loan contractors....What Raskin neglected to say was that taxpayers will fund a bump in pay for the student loan servicers even if their performance does not improve.... "The idea of the renegotiation was to help the borrowers, not to make the servicers richer," http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/sarah-bloom-raskin-student-loans_n_6117960.html
VIDEO
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN PINS BANKER TO THE WALL
ON STUDENT DEBT RELIEF
Nightly Business Report, September 19, 2014
-▶ STUDENT LOAN DEBT ISN'T JUST FOR THE YOUNG: Americans now owe a record $1.2 trillion in student loan debt and if that’s not bad enough, the crisis is taking on a new dimension: people near retirement age hold more of that debt than ever before. http://nbr.com/2014/09/19/student-debt-burdens-seniors/
Nightly Business Report, November 21, 2014
-▶ STUDYING ABROAD CAN CUT COLLEGE COSTS IN HALF. Earlier this fall, Lower Saxony became the last state in Germany to scrap public university tuition. Germans—and international students—can now study for free. http://nbr.com/2014/11/21/studying-abroad-can-cut-college-costs-in-half/
The New Yorker, September 17, 2014
-▶ THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT TAKES ON THE STUDENT DEBT CRISIS http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/occupy-movement-takes-student-debt
=========================
BANKRUPTCY
August 21, 2013 Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi:
-▶ NO BANKRUPTCY FOR STUDENT LOANS -- WE'RE SADDLING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH CRUSHING DEBT ... AND GOVERNMENT IS ACTING LIKE GREEDY PROFITEERS http://www.globalpossibilities.org/matt-taibbi-were-saddling-college-students-with-crushing-debt-and-the-govt-is-acting-like-a-greedy-profiteer/
Gawker, August 21, 2013
-▶ TIME TO BRING BANKRUPTCY BACK FOR STUDENT LOAN DEBT
http://gawker.com/time-to-bring-bankruptcy-back-for-student-loan-debt-1177948307
Student Loan Borrower Assistance
-▶ STUDENT LOAN BANKRUPTCY
http://www.studentloanborrowerassistance.org/bankruptcy/
The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
-▶ ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS: STUDENT LOAN BANKRUPTCY EXCEPTION http://www.finaid.org/questions/bankruptcyexception.phtml
===========================
April 26, 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Jay Bookman
-▶ THE REAL STUDENT-LOAN SCANDAL:
College graduates with large debt aren’t really the problem. The larger problem is the predatory for-profit schools that have popped up around the country to try to separate students from their college-loan money and in the process deliver little in the way of useful education.
The industry is large and growing rapidly. During the 2008-2009 academic year, those schools collected $4.3 billion in Pell grants and $20 billion in federal loans. That’s more than double the amount that they received as recently as 2005. The real student-loan scandal http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/04/26/the-real-student-loan-scandal/
THE CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION:
A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
===========================
VIDEO REPORT
RETURN OF DEBTORS' PRISON
MANY STILL JAILED FOR INABILITY TO PAY FINES OR DEBTS
ProPublica, September 15, 2014
-▶ UNSEEN TOLL: WAGES OF MILLIONS SEIZED TO PAY PAST DEBTS. A new study provides the first-ever tally of how many employees lose up to a quarter of their paychecks over debts like unpaid credit card or medical bills and student loans. http://www.propublica.org/article/unseen-toll-wages-of-millions-seized-to-pay-past-debts
ProPublica Investigations
-▶ UNFORGIVEN - THE LONG LIFE OF DEBT http://www.propublica.org/series/unforgiven
Investopedia, December 18, 2014
-▶ 5 THINGS DEBT COLLECTORS ARE FORBIDDEN TO DO You may want to use one of these sample letters to debt collectors published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. To learn more, read Protect Yourself From Zombie Debt Collectors.. read How The Debt Collection Agency Business Works.
http://linkis.com/www.investopedia.com/DqmE4
-▶ BUSINESS DOING GOOD: THE MILLENNIALS: A GUIDE TO CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP http://sco.lt/5EJkIL
The Atlantic, September 8, 2014
-▶ HOW MILLENNIALS SPEND. They prefer their foods organic, their products natural, and their banks small http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/how-millennials-spend/379713/
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THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP -
PRIVATIZING EVERYTHING
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CORPORATE "INVERSIONS"
HOW DEREGULATION IS DESTROYING SOCIETY, AS THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET POORER http://sco.lt/51dYjh
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