Bankruptcy--Can You Discharge Your Student Loans?

May 26
07:47

2011

Ace Abbey

Ace Abbey

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Bankruptcy has been a life preserver for many Americans who have found themselves in the raging, frothy sea called unmanageable debt. Though there are ethical, financial, and practical questions one must ask themselves before deciding to go this route, the truth is that many people have no other choice.

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Unfortunately,Bankruptcy--Can You Discharge Your Student Loans? Articles student loans have become a major problem in this country. Students are taking out so much to go to school that they find themselves in a terrible financial situation upon graduation. And with the job market what it is, few can find the types of jobs that will allow them to pay down that debt in anything resembling an expeditious manner. If you are in that situation yourself, you may be wondering if you can turn to the court system for help.

The federal government has a hand in backing many student loans that go out to young college entrants each year. This is what makes it so easy for these institutions to offer gigantic loans to individuals who would probably not qualify for similar amounts for credit lines and other purposes. But there is a catch. Because the government is involved in backing those loans, they take the repayment of them very seriously. There is no chance of having your back taxes discharged through bankruptcy, and the same is true (almost) when it comes to student loans. Once you make the decision to take them, you’re almost certainly going to be held responsible for the balance.

There are exceptions to this universal truth. If you are someone who has become seriously disabled, you may have a chance of having your loans discharged through a bankruptcy court. This is exceedingly rare, however, and would only come into play in cases where the disability is extraordinary. A bum knee that puts you on Social Security will not likely be enough for a court to determine the loan discharged.

If your student loans are not government backed in any way, they will likely count as being as eligible for bankruptcy as any other private loans. The same holds true if you have used credit cards or personal loans to pay for your education. While it is seldom advisable to go this route because of the interest levels typically being much higher than those you can get from a reputable student loan institution, it is nonetheless something to keep in mind if you went that route already.

Of course, the best thing you can do in any such situation is to talk to a bankruptcy lawyer and find out your options first hand. Even if your student loans cannot be discharged, he may be able to advise you on a course of action that could get rid of any other debts you may owe and put you back on the road to financial stability.

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