e
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Anti-Discrimination Rules for Education Lenders
This page discusses the extent to which education lenders can discriminate against certain types of eligible borrowers in the origination of federal education loans. When an education lender seeks to improve the quality of its loan portfolio, it may want to discriminate on the basis of the borrower's credit score or attendance at a particular educational institution or type of educational institution (e.g., based on the institution's cohort default rate or the institution's graduation rate).
Summary Chart This chart summarizes which types of discrimination are banned for each lender and type of loan. As is evident from the chart, the current statutory and regulatory anti-discrimination rules represent a patchwork of rules with many holes and gaps. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) introduced the Preventing Student Loan Discrimination Act (S. 3141) on June 17, 2008. This legislation would ban FFELP lenders from discriminating against eligible borrowers based on the borrower's choice of an eligible educational institution, length of the borrower's program, academic year in school or the borrower's income. The changes are highlighted in the summary charge with the letter P.
All Lenders and Loans
Section 438(c) of the Higher Education Act requires lenders to charge the same fees to all student borrowers, except that lenders can charge lower fees to borrowers with greater financial need. This effectively prevents lenders from discriminating in the provision of fee waivers according to borrower attendance at particular institutions of higher education. (The use of the word 'student', however, allows lenders to discriminate in the waiver of fees on parent PLUS loans.) There is no similar requirement with regard to interest rate discounts in section 428(m). Nothing prevents a lender from halting the origination of all Stafford loans. Nothing appears to prevent a lender from being selective in the marketing of their federal student loans. For example, a lender can refuse to be included in a school's preferred lender list. Stafford Loans Aside from the general rules mentioned in All Lenders and Loans above, there are no specific restrictions on discrimination by lenders in the origination of Stafford loans. In particular, lenders can discriminate on the basis of income and attendance at an eligible educational institution, among the other omissions in section 421(a)(2) of the Higher Education Act. PLUS Loans Section 428B(a)(1)(A) requires that a PLUS loan borrower not have an adverse credit history. Adverse credit history is defined in 34 CFR 682.201(c)(2)(ii) as not being 90 or more days late on repayment of a debt or having had a write-off of a Title IV debt, default, bankruptcy discharge, foreclosure, repossession, tax lien or wage garnishment in the past five years. The regulatory language allows a lender to approve a PLUS loan despite an adverse credit history when "extenuating circumstances exist" but does not require the lender to do so. In addition, the regulations at 34 CFR 682.201(c)(2)(iii) allow lenders to establish "more restrictive credit standards". This could potentially allow lenders to use FICO scores in determining eligibility for the PLUS loan, or use 30 or 60 day delinquencies or a longer horizon, such as 7-10 years, for defaults, discharges, foreclosures and other write-offs. Nothing precludes a lender from halting the origination of all PLUS loans. Aside from the general rules mentioned in "All Lenders and Loans" above, there are no other specific restrictions on discrimination by lenders in the origination of PLUS loans. In particular, lenders can discriminate on the basis of income and attendance at an eligible educational institution, among the other omissions in section 421(a)(2) of the Higher Education Act. Consolidation Loans Section 428C(b) of the Higher Education Act bans discrimination on the number or type of loans being consolidated, the type or category of institution of higher education attended by the borrower, the interest rate to be charged to the borrower, or the repayment schedules offered to the borrower. Nothing precludes a lender from establishing minimum balances for consolidation loans. Nothing precludes a lender from halting the origination of all consolidation loans. 9.5% Floor Income Lenders The regulations at 34 CFR 682.800(a) ban lenders who are receiving the 9.5% floor income special allowance payments from discriminating according to the borrower's race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability status, income, attendance at a particular institution within the area served by the authority, length of the borrower's education program, or the borrower's academic year in school. In particular, it is worth noting that this regulation bans discrimination based on income or attendance as a particular educational institution. The ban on discrimination based on income likely precludes the use of credit scores to the extent that credit scores correlate with income. The ban on discrimination on the basis of attendance at a particular institution probably precludes using stricter cohort default rate standards than the Higher Education Act. Guarantee Agencies 34 CFR 682.404(h) bans guarantee agencies from discriminating on the basis of the same set of criteria as the 9.5% floor income lenders. A guarantee agency therefore may not refuse to guarantee loans at any eligible school within the states served by the guarantee agency. Sallie Mae Additional requirements are placed on Sallie Mae by sections 439(e) and 440A of the Higher Education Act. Section 439(e) bans Sallie Mae from purchasing loans from lenders that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, creed or national origin. Section 440A bans Sallie Mae from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability status, income, attendance at a particular eligible institution, length of the borrower's educational program, or the borrower's academic year at an eligible institution. The language not only uses the "any pattern or practice" language that applies to guarantee agencies and 9.5% floor income lenders, but also uses "directly or indirectly" language. This would appear to prohibit Sallie Mae from paying different premiums based on a school's cohort default rate or refusing to make federal loans to students at particular eligible institutions. Private Student Loans The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) applies to private student loans, and bans discrimination on the basis of race, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age or receipt of public assistance. Relevant Statutory and Regulatory Excerpts Higher Education Act of 1965 421(a)(2) DISCRIMINATION BY CREDITORS PROHIBITED. -- No agency, organization, institution, bank, credit union, corporation, or other lender who regularly extends, renews, or continues credit or provides insurance under this part shall exclude from receipt or deny the benefits of, or discriminate against any borrower or applicant in obtaining, such credit or insurance on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, age, or handicapped status. 428C(b) NONDISCRIMINATION IN LOAN CONSOLIDATION. -- An eligible lender that makes consolidation loans under this section shall not discriminate against any borrower seeking such a loan --
438(c) 439(e) ADVANCES TO LENDERS THAT DO NOT DISCRIMINATE. -- The Association, pursuant to such criteria as the Board of Directors may prescribe, shall make advances on security or purchase student loans pursuant to subsection (d) only after the Association is assured that the lender (1) does not discriminate by pattern or practice against any particular class or category of students by requiring that, as a condition to the receipt of a loan, the student or his family maintain a business relationship with the lender, except that this clause shall not apply in the case of a loan made by a credit union, savings and loan association, mutual savings bank, institution of higher education, or any other lender with less than $75,000,000 in deposits, and (2) does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, or national origin. 440A. DISCRIMINATION IN SECONDARY MARKETS PROHIBITED. The Student Loan Marketing Association (and, if the Association is privatized under section 440, any successor entity functioning as a secondary market for loans under this part, including the Holding Company described in such section) shall not engage directly or indirectly in any pattern or practice that results in a denial of a borrower's access to loans under this part because of the borrower's race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability status, income, attendance at a particular eligible institution, length of the borrower's educational program, or the borrower's academic year at an eligible institution. Regulations
34 CFR 682.201(c)(2)
34 CFR 682.404(h)
34 CFR 682.800
|
Home | Loans | Scholarships | Savings | Military Aid | Other Types of Aid | Financial Aid Applications Answering Your Questions | Calculators | Beyond Financial Aid | Site Map | About FinAid® |
Copyright © 2019 by FinAid Page, LLC. All rights reserved. Mark Kantrowitz, Founder www.FinAid.org |