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The Student Loan Scam

The Most Oppressive Debt in U.S. History and How We Can Fight Back

Author Alan Collinge
Paperback
$20.00 US
Beacon Press
5.5"W x 8.5"H x 0.4"D  
On sale Feb 01, 2010 | 184 Pages | 9780807042311
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Named one of CNN Money’s financial heroes, Alan Michael Collinge argues that student loans have become the most profitable, uncompetitive, and oppressive type of debt in American history. In an unprecedented analysis of this $85-billion industry, Collinge covers the history of student loans, the rise of Sallie Mae, and how universities have profited at students’ expense while telling stories of people whose lives have been shattered as a result–including his own.

“Think credit-card debt is a problem? Take a look at the lives ruined through the corporate thug tactics, usurious fees and vicious harassment employed by some of the nation’s largest student-loan providers in this shocking exposé.… [Collinge] reveals that since lenders make far more money from defaulted loans than they do from borrowers in good standing, they go to extraordinary–and illegal–lengths to force borrowers into default.…[He] urges Congress to restore standard consumer protections to student loans, concluding with a call to arms for progressive changes, refinancing rights and a plethora of practical advice for borrowers. Comprehensive and stirring, this extraordinary book is whistle-blowing at its finest.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“That Collinge writes from personal experience makes The Student Loan Scam passionate and informed.”–Rich Barlow, Boston Globe

“Students and parents planning to borrow money to finance a college or technical school education should read Alan Collinge’s warnings and advice before they sign any loan papers.”–David Cay Johnston, author of Free Lunch and Perfectly Legal
Alan Michael Collinge is Founder of StudentLoanJustice.Org, a grassroots organization, and political action committee. He holds B.S., M.S., and Eng. Degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Since Founding StudentLoanJustice.Org in March, 2005 as a result of his own personal experiences with college loans, Collinge has been featured on 60 Minutes, and also in print media including Fortune Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Phoenix, The Village Voice, Inside Higher Ed, and others. He has published editorials in the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, and many other outlets.

Prior to founding StudentLoanJustice.Org, Collinge was Associate Scientist of Aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology, and also was regional project director for a government loan program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Alan Collinge View titles by Alan Collinge
"Alan Collinge has lived through the national student debt crisis, and he has an astonishing tale to tell. Read and be outraged."
—Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt

"Alan Collinge has been to student loan hell and has managed to survive to tell about the experience. Turning his personal nightmare into a cause for activism, Collinge has emerged as one of the most effective critics of the student loan industry and its patrons in Washington. Readers will be as outraged as he is with what passes for federal student loan policy."—Barmak Nassirian, Associate Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

"Students and parents planning to borrow money to finance a college or technical school education should read Alan Collinge's warnings and advice before they sign any loan papers."—David Cay Johnston, author of Free Lunch and Perfectly Legal

"If you plan on borrowing money for college, spend a few extra dollars and buy a copy of The Student Loan Scam. Relevant and deeply timely, this book's excellent advice could very well save you thousands of dollars and spare you a ton of grief."—Lynn O'Shaughnessy, author of The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price

"Think credit-card debt is a problem? Take a look at the lives ruined through the corporate thug tactics, usurious fees and vicious harassment employed by some of the nation's largest student-loan providers in this shocking exposé from Collinge, founder of StudentLoanJustice.org. The author had a manageable $38,000 in loans-until he missed a single payment . . . and his debt mushroomed to more than $100,000. The author reveals that since lenders make far more money from defaulted loans than they do from borrowers in good standing, they go to extraordinary-and illegal-lengths to force borrowers into default. There are currently more than five million defaulted loans on record, and incredibly, student loans are the only type of loan in U.S. history to be nondischargable in bankruptcy. The author exposes the engineers (and profiteers) of this predatory system and urges Congress to restore standard consumer protections to student loans, concluding with a call to arms for progressive changes, refinancing rights and a plethora of practical advice for borrowers. Comprehensive and stirring, this extraordinary book is whistle-blowing at its finest.—Publishers Weekly, starred review

About

Named one of CNN Money’s financial heroes, Alan Michael Collinge argues that student loans have become the most profitable, uncompetitive, and oppressive type of debt in American history. In an unprecedented analysis of this $85-billion industry, Collinge covers the history of student loans, the rise of Sallie Mae, and how universities have profited at students’ expense while telling stories of people whose lives have been shattered as a result–including his own.

“Think credit-card debt is a problem? Take a look at the lives ruined through the corporate thug tactics, usurious fees and vicious harassment employed by some of the nation’s largest student-loan providers in this shocking exposé.… [Collinge] reveals that since lenders make far more money from defaulted loans than they do from borrowers in good standing, they go to extraordinary–and illegal–lengths to force borrowers into default.…[He] urges Congress to restore standard consumer protections to student loans, concluding with a call to arms for progressive changes, refinancing rights and a plethora of practical advice for borrowers. Comprehensive and stirring, this extraordinary book is whistle-blowing at its finest.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“That Collinge writes from personal experience makes The Student Loan Scam passionate and informed.”–Rich Barlow, Boston Globe

“Students and parents planning to borrow money to finance a college or technical school education should read Alan Collinge’s warnings and advice before they sign any loan papers.”–David Cay Johnston, author of Free Lunch and Perfectly Legal

Author

Alan Michael Collinge is Founder of StudentLoanJustice.Org, a grassroots organization, and political action committee. He holds B.S., M.S., and Eng. Degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Since Founding StudentLoanJustice.Org in March, 2005 as a result of his own personal experiences with college loans, Collinge has been featured on 60 Minutes, and also in print media including Fortune Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Phoenix, The Village Voice, Inside Higher Ed, and others. He has published editorials in the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, and many other outlets.

Prior to founding StudentLoanJustice.Org, Collinge was Associate Scientist of Aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology, and also was regional project director for a government loan program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Alan Collinge View titles by Alan Collinge

Praise

"Alan Collinge has lived through the national student debt crisis, and he has an astonishing tale to tell. Read and be outraged."
—Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt

"Alan Collinge has been to student loan hell and has managed to survive to tell about the experience. Turning his personal nightmare into a cause for activism, Collinge has emerged as one of the most effective critics of the student loan industry and its patrons in Washington. Readers will be as outraged as he is with what passes for federal student loan policy."—Barmak Nassirian, Associate Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

"Students and parents planning to borrow money to finance a college or technical school education should read Alan Collinge's warnings and advice before they sign any loan papers."—David Cay Johnston, author of Free Lunch and Perfectly Legal

"If you plan on borrowing money for college, spend a few extra dollars and buy a copy of The Student Loan Scam. Relevant and deeply timely, this book's excellent advice could very well save you thousands of dollars and spare you a ton of grief."—Lynn O'Shaughnessy, author of The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price

"Think credit-card debt is a problem? Take a look at the lives ruined through the corporate thug tactics, usurious fees and vicious harassment employed by some of the nation's largest student-loan providers in this shocking exposé from Collinge, founder of StudentLoanJustice.org. The author had a manageable $38,000 in loans-until he missed a single payment . . . and his debt mushroomed to more than $100,000. The author reveals that since lenders make far more money from defaulted loans than they do from borrowers in good standing, they go to extraordinary-and illegal-lengths to force borrowers into default. There are currently more than five million defaulted loans on record, and incredibly, student loans are the only type of loan in U.S. history to be nondischargable in bankruptcy. The author exposes the engineers (and profiteers) of this predatory system and urges Congress to restore standard consumer protections to student loans, concluding with a call to arms for progressive changes, refinancing rights and a plethora of practical advice for borrowers. Comprehensive and stirring, this extraordinary book is whistle-blowing at its finest.—Publishers Weekly, starred review

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