January 17, 2011 Ms. Monica Jackson Office of the Executive Secretary Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW (Attn: 1801 L Street) Washington, DC 20220 (sent via email to:
[email protected]) Dear Ms. Jackson: These comments are in response to the “Request for Information Regarding Private Education Loans and Private Educational Lenders” (FR Doc. 2011–29737, Docket No. CFPB–2011–0037). We appreciate the opportunity to comment as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) prepares its report on these topics, as required by Section 1077 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization working to improve both educational opportunity and outcomes so that more underrepresented students complete meaningful post-secondary credentials and do so without incurring burdensome debt. Our Project on Student Debt, launched in 2005, focuses on increasing public understanding of rising student debt – including private student loan debt – and the implications for individuals, families, the economy and society. Publicly available data provide a troubling, but incomplete, picture of the private education lending market in the United States and its impact on students and families. The Bureau’s study represents an important opportunity to improve public understanding of what is at stake for consumers at all stages of the private loan process. We believe the information gathered and analyzed by this study will underscore the need for the Bureau to work with the Department of Education, Congress, colleges and others to strengthen consumer protections and provide consumers with the information they need to make sound decisions about how to pay for college.