Behm Law Group, Bankruptcy Attorneys

In the Marshall, Minnesota area, students may find repaying their student loan debt challenging. For those former students struggling to overcome the weight of crippling expenses and education-related debt, Behm Law Group Ltd. can help!

Last week, we discussed how to examine whether or not substantial student loan debt could be discharged through bankruptcy. The first step is to take the Brunner Test, and after determining your personal financial situation regarding your ratio of debt to credit, it’s important to take a look at your options for discharging student loans through bankruptcy.

Here are two different options for discharging your personal student loan debt:

• Privacy Issue: Did you utilize student loans to help pay for your private college education? If so, you may be able to discharge your student loans by redefining their purpose! Federal aid is often not available for students attending private or smaller schools, which makes private student loans a necessity rather than a choice. Since the choice to use federal student aid was not available, these private loans can be considered something other than an “education” loan and can be discharged legally through bankruptcy.

• Attendance Record: Did you use federal student loans in order to pay for anything other than tuition or school fees? In the past, some folks struggling with student loans and bankruptcy have argued that non- “cost of attendance” expenses, or non-tuition related expenses such as computers, can be discharged from their student loan debt. However, borrowers beware! Oftentimes, loans require that students initially agree to consider additional expenses within the “cost of attendance” when getting their student loans.

Although student loan debt and bankruptcy can be equally frightening to folks in the Marshall, Minnesota area, there are options to consider. By examining the definition of these loans and considering the classification of “cost of attendance” loans, students can save themselves from years of challenging payments or debt.

For more information regarding student loan debt and related bankruptcy, contact the professionals at Behm Law Group Ltd.!