THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAD CREATED A PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS
STRUGGLING WITH STUDENT LOAN DEBT TEN YEARS AGO.
THE PROGRAM ALLOWED PEOPLE WHO WERE IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT
TO ENTER PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE
DEPARTMENT, AND AFTER 10 YEARS, THE REMAINING STUDENT LOAN
DEBT THAT THEY HAD WOULD BE FORGIVEN.
FAST-FORWARD 10 YEARS LATER, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO WERE ACCEPTED INTO THIS PROGRAM GOT A LETTER FROM THE
DEPARTMENT SAID THAT ñ
THAT SAID THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS THAT THEY DID
BUT MAYBE DIDN'T WANT TO DO DON'T QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
LET'S KEEP IT REAL, THESE STUDENTS WERE LIED TO AND
COMPLETE THE SCAMS, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION.
ALL RIGHT, SO, THE FORGIVENESS PROGRAM OFFERS MAJOR BENEFITS
FOR BORROWERS, ADVOCATES SAY, TO THE POINT OF PERSUADING SOME
PEOPLE TO TAKE PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS INSTEAD OF MORE
LUCRATIVE WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE PROGRAM GENERALLY COVERS PEOPLE WITH FEDERAL STUDENT
LOANS WHO WORK FOR 10
YEARS AT A GOVERNMENT OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, A
DIVERSE GROUP THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, MUSEUM
WORKERS, DOCTORS AT PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPROVED THE PROGRAM IN 2007
IN A SWEEPING, BIPARTISAN BILL.
SO, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND PUBLICANS REALIZED THAT THEY WANTED TO
HELP THESE STUDENTS OUT, AND IF THEY PROVIDE A PUBLIC SERVICE
THAT WE APPROVE, THEN AFTER 10 YEARS OF WORKING IN THAT
FIELD, WE WILL FORGIVE THEIR REMAINING STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
AND NOW THEY GO, YOU BELIEVED US?
HA-HA.
SO HERE'S THE UPDATE:
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED THAT BORROWERS
COULD NOT RELY ON THE PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED OR TO SAY
ACCURATELY WHETHER THEY QUALIFY FOR DEBT FORGIVENESS.
THE THOUSANDS OF APPROVAL LETTERS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT BY
THE ADMINISTRATOR, FEDLOAN SERVICING, ARE NOT BINDING
AND CAN BE RESCINDED AT ANY TIME, THE AGENCY SAID.
THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HATE POLITICIANS, AND SOMETIMES
GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN, WHAT IS THE GOOD PART OF
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BAD PART OF THE GOVERNMENT.
GOOD GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES GIVES YOU SOCIAL SECURITY AND HELP
SAVE YOUR LIFE WITH MEDICARE, AND THERE'S WONDERFUL PARTS OF
THE GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN THERE ARE ATROCIOUS PARTS, WHERE THEY THINK, WELL WE
ARE ABOVE YOU, AND SO YOU HAVE TO PLAY BY THE RULES, AND IF YOU
STEP OUTSIDE THE RULES FOR ONE SECOND, I MEAN, YOU WERE AT A
PARKING METER THAT RAN ONE MINUTE LONG, WE ARE GOING TO
JACK YOUR CAR.
AND BY THE WAY, AS WE FOUND OUT, THAT IS SOMETIMES SYSTEMATICALLY
DONE IN PLACES LIKE FERGUSON, WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY TARGETED THE
POOR, THAT IF THEY VIOLATED ANY RULES THEY WOULD GIVE THEM
TICKETS, ETC.,
AND TRY TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE POOR COMMUNITIES MORE THAN THEY
ñ AND BLACK COMMUNITIES ñ MORE THAN THEY WOULD FROM WHITE
COMMUNITIES, OR RICH COMMUNITIES.
SO IF YOU JUST VIOLATE THE RULES FOR A SECOND, THEY ARE
LOOKING FOR YOU AND THEY WILL LAY THE HAMMER DOWN ON YOU.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THEM THEY ARE LIKE, YOU LISTEN TO US?
AND YOU WORKED FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR FOR 10 YEARS?
THAT'S A DECADE.
OH, JUST KIDDING.
NOW, IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE STILL ABLE
TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BUT FOR SOME FOLKS THEY ARE
SAYING, NOPE, WE NOW CHANGE THE RULES ON YOU COMPLETELY.
AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE GET FURIOUS, AND RIGHTFULLY SO,
AT POLITICIANS.
AND HERE'S THE REALITY OF HOW THIS WHOLE PROCESS WORKS.
EVERY YEAR, THE PEOPLE WHO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM HAVE TO HAVE
SOME SORT OF MEDICATION, BASICALLY NOT REAPPLIED BUT ñ
SOME SORT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
ENSURE THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS FOLLOWING THE RULES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE DISCONNECT HAPPENS, OR WHY IT IS
THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN UNDER A NEW EDUCATION DEPARTMENT THESE
STUDENTS ARE BEING TOLD THAT THIS WAS NONBINDING, AND EVEN
THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS JOB THAT MIGHT BE LESS
LUCRATIVE FOR 10 YEARS, MAYBE IT DOESN'T QUALIFY.
I WOULD BE ENRAGED.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AT TYT FOR 10
YEARS, BUT I MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE LESS MONEY.
THESE PEOPLE WERE KIND OF LIKE, NOT FORCED, BUT THINK ABOUT
IT, IF YOU HAVE A TREMENDOUS ABOUT A STUDENT LOAN DEBT
AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT FORGIVE AND IF YOU
TAKE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF JOB, YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE THAT JOB
AND THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID.
THIS ESSENTIALLY DICTATED THEIR LIVES AND THEIR CAREER PATHS.
YOU CAN PUT ANY NUMBER ON IT THAT YOU WANT.
LET'S SAY YOU HAD A STUDENT DEBT THAT WAS WHAT TO GET
FORGIVEN, AND MAKE UP A NUMBER, IT'S $20,000.
STUDENT DEBT IS SOMETIMES DIDACTIC.
AND THEY GO, OH, NO, I LIKE TO YOU AND YOU STILL HAVE THAT
$20,000 DEBT.
YOU WERE COUNTING ON THAT EXTRA FOR WORKING A JOB THAT DID NOT
PAY YOU AS WELL, THAT WAS PART OF YOUR EXPECTED COMPENSATION
BASED ON THE RULES THAT THEY GAVE YOU.
AND AT THE END THEY GO, JUST KIDDING, YOU STILL OVER $20,000.
IF WE PROMISED YOU A BONUS AT THE END AND YOU GOT TO THE
END AND WE WERE LIKE, NO WE GIVE YOU NOTHING, WE LIED TO YOU
THE WHOLE TIME.
I BE REALLY UPSET, BUT I'M A SUCKER, I'D PROBABLY STILL
BE HERE.
I MEAN, DON'T USE THAT AS ñ
OH, TAKE NOTES ñ
MEANS TO DO ANYTHING SHADY IN THE FUTURE.
BUT PEOPLE WOULD BE VERY UPSET.
AND AGAIN, THIS PROGRAM, OF COURSE THEY CONSENTED TO
IT, THE STUDENTS DID, BUT IT DID DICTATE THEIR CAREER PATHS,
AND THAT'S BIG, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
BY THE WAY, FOUR BORROWERS AND THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
HAVE FILED A LAWSUIT, AND WE WILL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT, BUT I
DO BELIEVE THAT THE BORROWERS HERE HAD A STRONG CASE,
ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CORRESPONDENCE
WITH THE ñ CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT INDICATED
THAT THE JOB THEY WERE WORKING YET QUALIFIED FOR THE PROGRAM.
IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH MORE RIGHT-WING WASHINGTON GETS
EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
'07, THOSE WERE NOT GOOD TIMES, THOSE WERE THE BUSH CHENEY
YEARS, BUT EVEN THEN, A BIPARTISAN BILL THAT INCLUDED
REPUBLICANS PASSED, THAT SAID IF STUDENTS COME OUT OF
COLLEGE AND THEY ARE DOING SOME WONDERFUL AND GIVING BACK
TO THE COMMUNITY WE SHOULD REWARD THEM.
REPUBLICAN SAID THAT.
NOW 10
YEARS LATER THEY ARE LIKE, NO WAY, DON'T CARE, HERE'S SOME
BOOTSSTRAPS FOR YOU, BY THE WAY, KEEP PAYING OUR BANKER FRIENDS.