Students and young consumers
Helping borrowers understand their repayment options
Thank you for submitting your feedback on our Payback Playbook, which may help millions of student loan borrowers better understand their available repayment options. Check out the comments we received, and make sure to keep an eye out for updates on our Payback Playbook in the coming months!
Learn more about how the Payback Playbook can help you better manage your student debt
If you are having trouble with your student loan servicer (the company that sends you a bill each month), including problems getting information on ways to make your monthly payment more affordable, you can submit a complaint.
Inquiry into student loan servicing
In response to our public inquiry into student loan servicing practices, we received over 30,000 comments from the public, highlighting the costly surprises and runarounds some borrowers face when dealing with their servicers. We documented these widespread servicing failures reported by borrowers in our recent report, Student Loan Servicing.
We also joined the Department of Education and the Department of the Treasury to issue a series of joint principles that offers a roadmap to strengthen the student loan servicing market for all borrowers.
Paying for College
From start to finish, we can help you make informed financial decisions about paying for college.
Repay student debt
While we can’t give you advice for your exact situation, we can point you in the right direction.
Submit a student loan complaint
We’ll forward your issue to the company, give you a tracking number, and keep you updated on the status of your complaint.
Student banking and credit cards
Banking on campus
We’re helping students better understand their options when considering college sponsored checking accounts. We also posted a reminder on things to keep in mind to students that manage their scholarships and student loans on college sponsored accounts.
In December, we warned colleges to better disclose their credit card agreements to comply with the CARD Act so students and families can see the terms of the deals.
College credit card agreement database
We collect information on agreements between universities and credit card issuers. Check out the database. We also released a report to Congress highlighting trends in credit cards on college campuses.
Safe Student Account Scorecard
We published the Safe Student Account Scorecard to help colleges and universities make sure the deals they make with financial institutions lead to safer and more affordable products.
Student loan reports
Student loan affordability
In 2013 we published a report discussing comments we received and outlining options policymakers and market participants should consider to help student borrowers manage their debt.
Annual report of the CFPB student loan ombudsman 2016
Based on complaints, comments, and other input, we highlight debt collection and servicing problems plaguing the federal programs designed to help defaulted student loan borrowers get on track and into affordable repayment plans.
Check out last year’s report and a snapshot of complaints from last year.
Private student loans
With the Secretary of Education, we submitted a report to Congress. Thousands of consumers gave us their comments.
Leveling the playing field
Know Before You Owe
In partnership with the Department of Education, we’ve developed a financial aid shopping sheet to improve the way schools communicate financial aid offers. More than 3,000 colleges have agreed to use the shopping sheet.
What we heard – We released a prototype and received feedback from the public.
Military education accountability
We’re working with the Departments of Education, Defense, and Veterans Affairs to take steps to ensure that servicemembers, veterans and their families can get the information they need about the schools where they spend their education benefits.
Public service and student debt
We heard from borrowers about the cost of student loan servicing breakdowns for people serving their communities.
Check out our report, toolkit for employers, and our guide for borrowers.
Read more about the CFPB’s work for students on our blog