U.S. Marshals Are Arresting People in Texas Who Have Outstanding Student Loans

Some much for no debtors prison in the USA.
nymag.com...

Here’s what the U.S. government says about the student loan you may have been tardy about paying back: “If your loan is placed with a collection agency, you will be responsible for costs incurred to get payment. The holder of your loan can take other actions to collect as well.” Those “other actions” involve withholding your tax refund or, in some cases, garnishing your wages. And, this week in Texas, they began to involve federal agents in combat gear bursting into debtors’ houses and arresting them.

That’s what happened to Paul Aker. Seven armed U.S. marshals arrived at his door in Houston last Thursday, arrested him on the spot, and took him to jail. He owed all of $1,500, outstanding since 1987. Aker told Fox 26 that without any warning, his 29-year-old debt was forcibly being collected; the marshals took him to federal court and made him sign a payment plan. “It was totally mind-boggling,” Aker told Fox 26.


Texas congressman Gene Green explained to Fox 26 that the federal government has been contracting out student-loan collections to private debt collectors, who are allowed to deploy the U.S. marshals as their enforcement arm. “There’s bound to be a better way to collect on a student loan debt,” said the congressman. Around Houston, that “better way” involves 1,200 to 1,500 arrest warrants. Student debt is at an all time high in the U.S., where students hold an average of $35,000 in federal debt, according to an analysis of government data on Edvisors.

This is a shame. Most of my generation was forced to take out student loans because we were sold on the false promise that we have to go to college in order to have a career. Now we have 10s of millions who can not afford to pay back those loans, yet instead of addressing the predatory student loans that so many have taken out, we have people being arrested over it.

It does not help that our Secretary of Education is one who greatly profits off the student loan scheme either. Hopefully my generation will take a stand against this. Unfortunately many in the older generation do not understand the crisis. It is not as simple as you borrowed money and you pay it back.

Started when Obama turned all student loans over to 1 or 2 banks
Now we know the reason behind that
Enjoy....

This is what happens when you owe government money.

This has been going on a while. Ever since the federal government took over student loans. We need to fix this. Debtors prison is un-American.

originally posted by: jrod
Most of my generation was forced to take out student loans...

I'm sure one of the Lehman Brothers was twisting everyone's arm while the other one moved the pen.

LULZ.

a reply to: jrod

I'm sure most of those were similarly forced to get useless degrees in things like Women's Studies and stuff like that too?

originally posted by: ketsuko
I'm sure most of those were similarly forced to get useless degrees in things like Women's Studies and stuff like that too?

What the hell else you gonna spend that dollar bill on? An engineering degree?

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

When you get pulled aside halfway through a semester saying there is not enough money for your tuition but you can stay in school if you take out loans, what options does one really have?

originally posted by: jrod
When you get pulled aside halfway through a semester saying there is not enough money for your tuition but you can stay in school if you take out loans, what options does one really have?

Get a goddamn job and extend your courses over more than four years.

Meanwhile many of you will justify the student loan scam, yet still ravenously support Trump, some who has literally skipped his way around paying billions of dollars in debt.

It's like if you are poor and have trouble paying for basic things you better pay off your debts, if you rich you can declare bankruptcy on billions you will never have to pay back.

Rigged system!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Been there done that. Joined the military because they said they would pay off the loans, they didn't. Also lost my GI Bill over a technicality....still got those student loans though.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: ketsuko
I'm sure most of those were similarly forced to get useless degrees in things like Women's Studies and stuff like that too?

What the hell else you gonna spend that dollar bill on? An engineering degree?

originally posted by: jrod
Been there done that. Joined the military because they said they would pay off the loans, they didn't. Also lost my GI Bill over a technicality....still got those student loans though.

So you want the ability to make poor financial decisions without ramification?

Here in Australia we had a system where you did not have to pay back the education loan until you started earning over $50K a year. It then gets taken out when you do your tax. It helps those that go to college but will never get a decent paying job. Sharing the burden with the work and risk that comes with education.

This story does remind me of the fallout with the 2008 GFC and the wave of house foreclosures that followed. The people pay for systemic problems. Not sure how America could implement such a system as it does require some socialist thinking to stand up against the fierce competitive nature that is condescending of those who don't make it.

If Trump spearheaded a program to forgive student loan debt, he'd be a shoo-in for 2020. Executive order?

a reply to: jrod

No one forced anyone to take out a loan. Many people worked their way thru school paying for it with the jobs they held. No one "sold" anyone on the idea that college was required for a "career". There are a multitude of jobs which require no formal training and are even taught in many high schools.

I was one who went to work while still in school and enjoyed a 20 plus year career with zero college credits. These trade jobs pay way better than most entry level white collar positions available to the college educated. After a few years experience these trade jobs exceed the pay scale offered to many degree level positions.

Other options include a minimal enlistment in our nation's military, after that initial enlistment is completed, the military provides tuition money and even a monthly stipend for expenses, in other words they pay for you to attend school. Plenty of options available to those who aspire to earn a University degree.

If you still believe that a degree is required for employment, please reveal which University you earned your degree from so I DO NOT send my children there as they are failing to provide an education. I believe it's wrong to arrest people for a debt, however over 30 years is enough time to properly pay it back, and I feel it necessary to state unequivocally that, yes Virginia, it is as simple as you borrowed thr money and you pay it back.

Americans have no clue how to save money nor spend it. It's no wonder our politicians have thus country over 20 trillion in debt. Routinely people purchase more house than they need and afford, I have friends that have 4 cars, people buy the new I phone which cost 3 times as others, cable, internet, entertainment. I love the good life myself but have never borrowed from anyone, easier as I am single but one can control borrowing by not attempting to keep up with the Jonese's

Mya reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Like Trump?

a reply to: jrod


Like anyone. Don't want student loans you can't afford? Don't get student loans you can't afford.

Alright, I actually have personal experience years back working for an agency under contract with the Dept. of Ed. regarding student loan collection.

Let me say the whole system is messed up on both sides. First, you'd be amazed at how many idiots out there believe, and say, "I didn't graduate, so I don't owe anything" before they hang up on you. Countless people make no effort at all to inform themselves, or make things right.

As for the Dept. of Ed.... plenty of morons there as well. We were not allowed to explain to people the dangers of being in federal default (which includes absolute absurdities like daily compounding interest).

If people actually make even a modicum of effort they can prevent federal default with payments as low as $5 a month which anyone could get simply collecting a few can's and bottles while cleaning up their local neighborhoods or parks. While that won't even dent the interest on most loans it WILL prevent federal default and save a TON in the long run by avoiding the switch to daily compounding interest.

I've gotta believe that anyone actually getting Marshals sent out on them are clearly in federal default, and that they dismissed countless attempts at contact instead foolishly choosing to blow it off. We were skip-tracing masters and tracked down most anyone pretty easily to be able to contact them even after multiple residence changes. Giving the gov. the middle finger rarely works out well for someone in trouble with the law, taxes, or debts.

I have a problem with law enforcement being used to collect for an unpaid debt. Credit cards are unsecured loans the same as a student loan and I think Marshalls would laugh in Visa/Mastercards face if they tried to get them to storm someone's house because of a credit card default.

The issue with student loans is that the industry was largely taken over by the government (once again, liberal's destroying a functioning market). Much like income taxes, government is not going to let you off the hook whereas a private institution would just take the "L" and write off the debt for non-payment.

Student loans are the next big bubble and already acting as anchor around too many people's necks. First, we need to get government out of the business of backing student loans in any way. The free market will bring the cost of education down to a reasonable level once the easy financing is removed. In addition, if colleges and universities offer any kind of financing, they should have to take on some of the risk to insure they are properly underwriting the risk.

The reality is that probably 50% of current college students shouldn't be in college to begin with as they don't have the intellectual ability (this is easily shown by looking at the number of remedial courses colleges have to offer).

As a country we have to accept that not every kid needs to go to college. Secondly, our companies need incentives to get back into providing training for their workforce.

I work in mortgage industry and everyday I see people who have student loan debts in many cases larger than the mortgages they are trying to take out. I am not talking about Doctors, but literally people making less than $75k a year with like $150k-$200k in student loan debt. They work in fields where they'd be lucky to get to $100k. They have little to no chance of every paying back that debt.

a reply to: jrod

The military will pay a certain percentage of student loans while enlisted in the military, not pay back student loans accrued before. All that's needed for the post 9/11 is at least 3 years of full-time active duty with an honorable discharge. If you have that I don't think anything else could disqualify you considering my use of the post 9/11 and my circumstances of getting out of the military.