Attorney General Josh Shapiro Hosts City Hall Over Student Debt

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The average Pennsylvania student has over $ 35,000 in student loans. It is the fourth highest average of any state in the country.


Photo by Matt Rourke / AP.

Pennsylvanians are drowning in student debt. Some statistics to prove it: Across the country, debt of university graduates stands at $ 1.5 trillion. In Pennsylvania, 1.7 million borrowers have $ 58.7 billion in debt from federal loans alone, according to Department of Education statistics. This equates to about $ 34,000 in debt per borrower statewide. (When you add private loans to the mix, the average rises to $ 35,510, the fourth highest average debt load in the country.)

It’s no wonder then that so many young people are calling for some form of student debt cancellation. Some Democratic presidential candidates are starting to listen.

But it’s not just federal officials paying attention. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh shapiro has emerged as a local advocate against heavy student debt, and on Monday, October 7, you can talk to him about it at Community College of Philadelphia, where he is hosting a town hall to discuss the matter.

Shapiro, whose views on supervised injection sites and criminal justice reform have led some progressives to doubt his liberal good faith, appears to be changing course, at least on a few issues. Last week the GA came out in support for the legalization of marijuana. And Shapiro has long focused on student debt, promising as a candidate to “protect student borrowers from predatory lenders and collection agencies.” By his own calculations, he has so far obtained nearly $ 50 million in Pennsylvania student debt relief.

Among Shapiro’s successes: joining a lawsuit against private lender Student CU Connect CUSO, which had partnered with now-bankrupt for-profit ITT Tech university to issue what Shapiro and other attorneys general called predatory loans. The settlement amounted to $ 168 million, of which $ 5.3 million was earmarked for former ITT Tech students in Pennsylvania.

Shapiro’s office also has an ongoing lawsuit against Navient, a Wilmington-based federal and private loan service, which alleges the company deceptively encouraged students to take out repayment plans that would in fact increase the amount of loans. interest they owed. (Navient previously called Shapiro’s claims “unfounded”.)

This case is still ongoing. A judge dismissed Navient’s request to dismiss the case last year, and the decision is now under appeal.

If all the talk of debts and lawsuits excites you, good news: Shapiro Town Hall on October 7, which runs from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the CPC Pavilion (1700 Spring Garden St.), is open to the public. Space is limited, so RSVP in advance to [email protected]

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