The student debt crisis is not just a crisis at the individual level. When individual residents experience high default rates, the financial health of neighborhoods is also likely to suffer. It’s time for the federal, state, and local governments to rethink the student loan system that is failing so many New Yorkers, leaving them with debts they cannot pay and that haunt them for years or even decades. Below are our testimonies on advocating for stronger protections for our student loan borrowers.

Testimony of Lorelei Salas Before the NYC Council Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing - Hearing on Introduction 52-2018 Note: Intro. 52 is a bill that would prohibit companies from charging a fee for student debt relief already provided without charge by the federal government unless specific disclosures are made and create a private cause of action for consumers harmed by violations of the law.