Broken Promises: Teachers Sue U.S. Over Student Loans That Weren't Forgiven

[DonViejo]

Source: NPR



July 11, 20195:00 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition

CHRIS ARNOLD

-snip-

The American Federation of Teachers is planning to file the lawsuit Thursday in federal court. In a draft of the complaint obtained by NPR, the union is asking the court to order the department to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program so that it meets legal standards. It's also asking the department to come up with an appeals process for people who believe they have been treated unfairly.

Congress created the program more than a decade ago to encourage public service. So, if you make loan payments for 10 years and you work in a qualifying job for the government or a nonprofit, the program promises to forgive the remainder of your federal student loan debt.

That promise sounded really good to a lot of people. More than 1 million have filed official paperwork to take part in the program. But there's a problem.

"The promise is broken, virtually all the time," says Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. "This is a debacle."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/07/11/739860400/broken-promises-teachers-sue-u-s-over-student-loans-that-werent-forgiven

[OrlandoDem2]

1. Another reason to avoid teaching as a profession altogether.