Embedded Files
Student Debt Clinics
Student Debt Clinics
For a Better Life, for Equity and Civil Rights, for Freedom and for a Voice at Work and in Our Democracy
For a Better Life, for Equity and Civil Rights, for Freedom and for a Voice at Work and in Our Democracy
The rising cost of higher education has led more than 45 million people in the United States to seek out student loans to finance their pursuit of higher education, borrowing over $1.7 trillion. Before March 2020, 1 in 4 were in distress—either not able to pay the full amount of their monthly payments, or they had gone into default.
The debt relief landscape is far different today, thanks to the work of AFT members. Our work has created more opportunities for borrowers―even borrowers with FFEL or parent PLUS loans―but some of these opportunities are time limited.
That’s where the AFT’s student debt clinics come in. Student debt clinics are 90-minute programs that:
Situate the experience of borrowers in the midst of a national student debt crisis;
Empower them to manage their student debt by giving them information on free federal programs that may lower their monthly payments and lead to their loans being forgiven; and
Engage them in union activism to address the student debt crisis and other important issues in their workplace and community.
Meet Summer—an online resource, started by student loan borrowers who wanted to help others avoid bad information and bad actors in the student loan market. Summer harnesses the expertise of public policy experts to optimize borrower options, and it uses technology to make the process easy and secure. The AFT trusts Summer to help our members navigate the student loan repayment landscape.
Using Summer’s online student loan management platform, AFT members who enroll in this free member benefit can:
Enroll in income-driven repayment plans and manage annual income recertification for these plans;
Complete the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employment Certification Form and manage the PSLF certification and application process;
Find other options for loan forgiveness programs, including state- and occupation-based loan forgiveness, and get assistance in applying for them; and
Talk through options with Summer’s borrower success team so they can understand how to best maximize their loan repayment and forgiveness options.
Thousands of AFT members have already joined Summer, reducing their monthly payments by hundreds of dollars a month and saving tens of thousands over the life of their loans!
Are you ready to get your student loans under control today? Summer’s got your back! Enroll for free today.
Page updated
Report abuse