<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Obama to forgive the student debt of permanently disabled people - The Washington Post</TITLE>
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<DIV class=original-url><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Please be sure to share this with as many blind college
students and recent graduates as you can!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/04/12/obama-to-forgive-the-student-debt-of-permanently-disabled-people/</FONT></FONT></A><BR><BR></DIV>
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<H1 class=title><FONT face="Times New Roman">Obama to forgive the student debt
of permanently disabled people</FONT></H1>
<DIV><A style="name: 0fa0104fae"></A><IMG
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<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Obama
administration plans to forgive $7.7 billion in federal student loans held by
nearly 400,000 permanently disabled Americans.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">By law, anyone
with a severe disability is eligible to have the government discharge their
federal student loans. The administration took steps four years ago to make the
process easier by letting people who are totally and permanently disabled use
their Social Security designation to apply for a discharge, but few took
advantage. The Department of Education is now taking it upon itself to identify
eligible borrowers and guide them through the steps to discharge their
loans.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“Too many eligible
borrowers were falling through the cracks, unaware they were eligible for
relief,” said Education Under Secretary Ted Mitchell in a statement. “Americans
with disabilities have a right to student loan relief. And we need to make it
easier, not harder, for them to receive the benefits they are
due.”</FONT></FONT></P>
<P channel="wp.com"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">[</FONT></FONT><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
style='href: "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2014/09/19/reaching-for-opportunity-but-grasping-debt/"'><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Sidelined by disability and saddled with student
loans</FONT></A></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">] </FONT></FONT></I></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Working with the
Social Security Administration, the department has been identifying borrowers
receiving disability payments and have the specific designation of “Medical
Improvement Not Expected,” which indicates they are eligible for the discharge.
The agencies found 387,000 matches in its first review. About 179,000 of those
people are currently in default on their loans, putting them at risk of losing
their tax refunds and having their Social Security benefits
garnished.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“The creation of
the matching program is a great first step, but the administration needs to go
further to ensure that no borrower who has a right to student loan relief has
their benefits taken,” said Persis Yu, the National Consumer Law Center’s
student loan borrower assistance project director. “Borrowers receiving SSDI
need these payments to survive.”</FONT></FONT></P>
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<DIV class=auxiliary style="WIDTH: 100%">
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Grade Point
newsletter</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News and issues
affecting higher education.</FONT></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Starting next
week, borrowers identified in the match will receive a letter from the
government explaining the steps needed to receive a discharge. They will not be
required to submit documentation of their eligibility, unlike disabled borrowers
who apply for the discharge on their own. Notification letters will be sent over
a 16-week period, and followed up with a second letter after 120
days.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The letters will
inform borrowers of the tax implication of the discharge, since the government
has the right to tax the amount of money forgiven.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P channel="wp.com"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">[</FONT></FONT><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
style='href: "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/03/10/obama-plans-to-make-it-easier-to-pay-your-student-loans/"'><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Obama plans to make it easier to pay your student
loans</FONT></A></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">] </FONT></FONT></I></P>
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data-headline="Rising student debt looms over parents and children"
data-duration="172000" data-category-id="wireap" data-aspect-ratio="0.5625">
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<H3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Rising student debt looms over parents and
children</FONT></H3><SPAN><SPAN><I></I></SPAN><SPAN><I></I></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P><I></I><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Play
Video</FONT></SPAN><SPAN><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">2:52</FONT></SPAN></FONT></P><SPAN
style='data-logo: "wireap"'></SPAN></DIV>
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<P><VIDEO class=large-element
src="https://videos.posttv.com/washpost-production/AP/20160413/570e27f0e4b098fcd166aafc/570e2808e4b0b7e7c91e587a_t_1460545559461_mobile.m3u8"
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<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Many middle
class families borrow to build their careers and send their children to college,
and now struggle to pay back growing student loan debt. A new AP analysis shows
it's a rising multi-generational problem. (AP)</FONT></SPAN><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </FONT></FONT></P></DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Tuesday’s
announcement is an outgrowth of President Obama’s Student Aid Bill of Rights,
which directed federal agencies to overhaul the way Americans repay student
loans.</FONT></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Corbb,
from my iPhone </FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(703)
309-4884</FONT></FONT></DIV></DIV>
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