"The Department of Education last fiscal year paid more than $1.4 billion to collection agencies and other groups to hunt down defaulters."
And yet war-profiteers get cut a check for millions in cost overruns and Wall Street banks are bailed out to the tune of trillions.
I will say one thing, it sure is an education.
"Crush of student debt is windfall for collectors" by Andrew Martin | New York Times, September 09, 2012
NEW YORK — At a protest last year at New York University, students called attention to their mounting debt by wearing T-shirts with the amount they owed scribbled across the front: $90,000; $75,000; $20,000.
On the sidelines was a business consultant for the debt collection industry with a different take. ‘‘I couldn’t believe the accumulated wealth they represent — for our industry,’’ the consultant, Jerry Ashton, wrote in a column for a trade publication, InsideARM.com. ‘‘It was lip-smacking.’’
Though Ashton says his column was meant to be ironic, it nonetheless highlighted undeniable truths: Many borrowers are struggling to pay off their student loans, and the debt collection industry is cashing in....
The amount of defaulted loans — $76 billion — is greater than the yearly tuition bill for all students at public two- and four-year colleges and universities, according to a survey of state education officials.
Where is their bailout? WTF?!?! Wall Street got 10x that amount in one program alone!
To get the money back, the Department of Education last fiscal year paid more than $1.4 billion to collection agencies and other groups to hunt down defaulters.
Hiding from the government is not easy.
It seems to be for terrorists and such, so WTF? Never mind the fact that this bankrupt government is tracking down every last cent from those it doesn't serve.
‘‘I keep changing my phone number,’’ said Amanda Cordeiro, 29, from Clermont, Fla., who dropped out of college in 2010 and has fielded as many as seven calls a day from debt collectors trying to recover her $55,000 in overdue loans. ‘‘In a year, this is probably my fourth phone number.’’
Unlike private lenders, the federal government has extraordinary tools for collection that it has extended to the collection firms. Cordeiro has already had two tax refunds seized, and other debtors have had their paychecks or Social Security payments garnished.
Like I said, this government is so in debt and it needs even more money to feed the war machine and Wall Street beast.
Over all, the government recoups about 80 cents for every dollar that goes into default — an astounding rate, considering most lenders are lucky to recover 20 cents on the dollar on defaulted credit cards.
They got ya' by the balls, kids!
While the recovery rate is impressive, critics say it has left the government with little incentive to try to prevent defaults in the first place.
And you kids thought (sob) that Obama was your friend.
Though there are programs in place to help struggling borrowers, the companies hired to administer federal student loans are not paid enough for conversations to walk borrowers through payment options, critics say.
One consequence is that a government program called income-based repayment has fallen short of expectations....
Or maybe not. Maybe debt enslavement under false pretenses is exactly what they had in mind. What were they expecting when all the jobs are being outsourced and shipped overseas?
Now there is this wonderful job over here in the military for you if you want it, kids.
Unlike credit cards and mortgages, there is no statute of limitations on collecting federally guaranteed student loans, and Congress has made it difficult for borrowers to wipe out the debt through bankruptcy. Only a small fraction of defaulters even tries.
“You are going to pay it, or you are going to die with it,’’ said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com, a credit monitoring service.
Kinda like ball and chain, 'eh?
--more--"
Related: Student Loan Scam
Student Sacrifice
It's worth it if it is going to banks, kids.
Also see: Romney's Report Card
Looks good, except when its a private lender they get a government bailout.
