Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Private Student Loan Debt and the Exception to Discharge As Viewed Through the Eyes of the Circuit Courts

By Gerard S. Catalanello and Kimberly (Kodis) Schiffman
May 01, 2022

Sections 727 and 1328 of the Bankruptcy Code operate as a permanent injunction against creditors seeking to collect against debts that have been discharged in bankruptcy. Not all debts, however, are dischargeable. Section 523(a) of the Bankruptcy Code enumerates 19 exceptions of debts from the discharge granted to an individual debtor. One such exception is contained in subsection 523(a)(8)(A)(ii). In relevant part, subsection 523(a)(8)(A)(ii) of the Bankruptcy Code provides that "a discharge under section 727 … or 1328(b) … does not discharge an individual from any debt … for — an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit …." Subsection 523(a)(8)(A)(ii) of the Bankruptcy Code does not automatically operate to except from discharge certain private student loans.

Three Circuit Courts have examined the question of whether private educational loans constitute "an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit" within the meaning of subsection 523(a)(8)(A)(ii). Each of these Circuit Courts applied similar analyses to answer this question in the negative. See, Homaidan v. Sallie Mae, Inc., 3 F.4th 595 (2d Cir. 2021); McDaniel v. Navient Sols., LLC (In re McDaniel), 973 F.3d 1083 (10th Cir. 2020); Crocker v. Navient Sols., LLC (In re Crocker), 941 F.3d 206 (5th Cir. 2019).

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes Image

“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.