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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

CFPB Releases Annual Report on Student Loan Complaints

CFPB Student Lending Department of Treasury Department of Education

Consumer Finance

On October 14, the CFPB released its annual report of the CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman, which analyzes consumer complaints submitted from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015 and provides an examination of issues raised in its September student loan servicing report. The CFPB is predominantly concerned about the group of borrowers facing repayment issues with older federal student loans made by banks and private lenders under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). According to the CFPB’s report, at least 30 percent of borrowers who participated in FFELP are either behind in their loan repayments or already in default. The report includes the following additional noteworthy data: (i) more than one in five of borrowers with federal loans made by private lenders are past-due, with more than 10 percent in forbearance; and (ii) 95 percent of borrowers with federal loans made by private lenders are not enrolled in income-driven repayment plans. The content of the report emphasizes the importance of the Department of the Treasury, Department of Education, and the CFPB’s joint statement to improve student loan servicing practices, promote borrower success, and minimize defaults.