Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the U.S. Department of Education released the final version of federal regulations for accreditation and state authorization for online institutions. Set to take effect in July 2020, the new rules would lead to a spiraling decline in the quality of the nation’s higher education system, costly and fruitless expenditures of student time and money, and a cost of up to $3.8 billion to U.S. taxpayers. The Department’s final rule does not reflect the consensus reached during the negotiated rulemaking earlier this year. "By weakening the accreditation system, the Department

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced today that his agency reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on the use of the False Claims Act for Federal Housing Administration single family loans. Center for Responsible Lending President Mike Calhoun made the following statement: CRL applauds HUD and the DOJ for working together and signing a memorandum of understanding addressing how the agencies will confer on False Claims Act prosecutions. CRL also supports FHA’s efforts to revise the annual lender and loan

Continuing state action will hasten fair practices across the industry DURHAM, N.C. – A new wave of state legislation passed in 2019 continues the trend of states addressing abuses in the student loan servicing industry, according to a report by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) titled, Stepping Up: States Move to Hold Student Loan Servicers Accountable. The analysis notes that, since 2015, thirteen states have passed reforms to address the practices of companies that provide the crucial link between student borrowers and successful repayment of their loans. Those states include

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court said today that it will take up  Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a case attempting to undermine the independence of the nation’s consumer protection watchdog.  Seila Law LCC is pushing the Supreme Court to give President Trump influence and control over how the CFPB oversees the financial services industry. Specifically, the lawsuit contends that the structure of the CFPB is unconstitutional because it only allows the President to remove the CFPB Director for-cause. Congress, however, established the independent CFPB to

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Center for Responsible Lending Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey released the following statement today on the passing of U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform: We are saddened by the passing of Chairman Elijah Cummings. He was a steadfast leader who served his community and country with passion and conviction. For consumers, he was the voice who championed reforms to protect families from abusive payday lenders, predatory for-profit colleges, and housing discrimination. His legacy is a shining example of what public

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor introduced the College Affordability Act, a bill to lower the costs of college for students and improve the quality of education. The bill includes important provisions to make quality higher education more accessible and affordable for students and families, including indexing the Pell Grant to inflation, extending federal aid eligibility to DACA recipients and Pell Grants to individuals who are incarcerated, creating a path to debt-free community college through the America’s College Promise federal

2008 Crisis Echoes Through American Politics As Americans Seek More WASHINGTON, DC – As candidates vie to set the agenda for the next presidency, Democratic primary voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina strongly support a tough approach to oversight and reform of Wall Street, according to a new poll conducted by the bipartisan team of Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting. The views of these voters, whose decisions will influence the early trajectory of the race for the Democratic nomination, align with Democrats and independents broadly, and on many

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Strong majorities across political parties show concern about the level of student debt in the United States and oppose the Department of Education’s and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) recent actions to weaken protections for students, according to a new poll released by Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). The poll was conducted by the bipartisan team of Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting. View the polling memo showing voter opposition to recent Department of Education and CFPB actions to

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) Committee, unveiled a package of eight bills to rewrite parts of the Higher Education Act. This action comes after Alexander once again blocked consideration of the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, which would have extended a two-year mandatory funding for Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribally Controlled Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act (FAIR Act) (H.R. 1423), a bill that would restore the ability of Americans to take their disputes with companies to a real court of law. Specifically, the legislation would prohibit contracts from requiring civil rights, consumer, or employment disputes be settled in arbitration – a process shown to be rigged in favor of powerful companies and against the average American. Center for Responsible Lending Executive Vice President Debbie Goldstein issued the following statement: The