State regulations on student loans

Does the federal government regulate student loans?

Yes. The federal government has laws regulating both government-issued and private student loans.

General protections

Federal protections like the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Debt Collections Act protect all types of borrowers, including student loan holders. These work to ensure your lender reasonably represents the loan, and to prevent debt collectors from harassing you.

Student loan protections

The DoE also regulates most aspects of federal student loans — from interest rates to repayments.

The Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman Group is a branch of the DoE charged with enforcing and resolving any consumer complaints involving federal student loans. And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) acts in a similar way for both federal and private student loans.

However, regulation specifically for student loans doesn’t cover everything. For this reason, several states have additional legislation.

States with student loan regulations

Currently, only 14 states and Washington DC have or are considering student loan regulations in addition to federal laws. Several states recently passed student loan regulations that might only be temporary since the DoE argues it’s the federal government’s responsibility to handle student loans.

The majority of these laws focus on protecting consumers from student loan servicers, with some even establishing regulatory bodies like state ombudsman offices where consumers can file complaints. Others offer state tax credits or deductions for student borrowers in addition to the federal student loan interest tax deduction.

Here are the regulations that affect you — or might affect you soon — as of February 2019.

How a student loan ombudsman can help resolve issues with your servicer

What can I do if I think my rights were violated?

If you think your servicer or lender has broken any of the federal or state laws, there are several steps you can take:

1. Contact customer service. Reach out and explain your situation to the company first. It’s often easier to resolve the issue with your lender or servicer directly than going through a third-party agency.
2. File a complaint. You can file a complaint against federal loan servicers with the FSA Ombudsman Group or your state’s student loan ombudsman. Private student loan holders can complain to the CFPB, Federal Trade Commission or your state’s attorney general’s office. They can mediate the dispute between you and the company.
3. Hire a lawyer. When regulatory bodies aren’t able to protect you, you might want to consider hiring a lawyer to contact your lender or servicer, or file a lawsuit.

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Bottom line

Only a handful of states have protections for borrowers, and most focus on repayments. Federal law still generally has the biggest impact on most American student loan holders. Learn more with our article on federal student loan legislation. Or explore your student loan options with our comprehensive guide.

Frequently asked questions

• Do state employees get student loan forgiveness?

  State employees can qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness as long as they:

  1. Have federal student loans.
  2. Make 120 repayments while they’re employed by the state or another eligible employer.
  3. Repay their loans using an income-driven repayment plan.

  As public servants, state employees might be eligible for other types of student loan forgiveness, depending on their area of expertise and career path.

• Do student loans go away after seven years?

  Not unless you qualify for a forgiveness program, have your student loans discharged or pay them off with a seven-year loan term. Even if you qualify for forgiveness or a discharge program, you still need to apply in almost all cases — you won’t automatically have your loans canceled.

• Can I write off my student loans on my taxes?

  You can write off up to $2,500 in student loan interest payments on your taxes. Some states might also allow you to make additional deductions on your state taxes.