Are you an Ashford University student who is struggling to make your loan payments? If so, you may be wondering if there are any forgiveness or repayment options available to you.
Due to the high tuition costs and a difficult job market, more and more students are turning to student loans to finance their education. However, borrowers often find themselves struggling to keep up with payments once they graduate.
Fortunately, there are a number of loan forgiveness and repayment options available to students who are struggling to repay their loans. In this article, we will discuss the different options available to Ashford University students.
About Ashford University
Founded in 1918, Ashford University is a leading online university with over 85,000 students enrolled in its degree programs. Offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees, Ashford University has been recognized as one of the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report and has been named one of the “Military Friendly Schools” by Military Friendly.
Ashford University Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
The federal government offers a number of student loan forgiveness programs for borrowers who meet certain qualifications. The following are some of the most popular student loan forgiveness programs available to Ashford University students:
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to help borrowers who work in public service jobs. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers must make 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years’ worth) while working in a public service job.
However, thanks to a recent change in the program, some requirements have been eased out. A recent waiver from the Department of Education allows borrowers to qualify for forgiveness based on their qualifying public service employment regardless of their loan type or repayment plan.
This new waiver is set to expire on October 31, 2022.
To know more about this, please click here.
Borrower Defense to Repayment
The Borrower Defense to Repayment Program is for borrowers who have been defrauded or misled by their school. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers must file a claim with the Department of Education.
The Department of Education will then review the claim and determine if the school violated any laws or regulations. If the school is found guilty of violating laws or regulations, the borrower will be eligible for full loan forgiveness.
Income-Driven Repayment Plans
The Income-Driven Repayment Plans are designed to help borrowers who are struggling to make their loan payments. There are four different Income-Driven Repayment Plans: the Income-Based Repayment Plan, the Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan, the Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan, and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan.
Each of these plans offers borrowers the opportunity to have their monthly payments reduced based on their income and family size. In addition, the plans offer loan forgiveness after a certain number of years.
Student Loan Consolidation
Student loan consolidation is the process of combining multiple student loans into one loan. This can be helpful for borrowers who are struggling to make multiple payments each month.
When you consolidate your loans, you will be given a new interest rate and a new repayment term. You may also be eligible for loan forgiveness under the Income-Driven Repayment Plans.
TPD discharge
The Total and Permanent Disability discharge is a program that allows borrowers who are unable to work due to a disability to have their loans forgiven. To qualify for a TPD discharge, borrowers must provide proof of their disability to the Department of Education.
Once the Department of Education has approved the borrower’s application, the borrower will be eligible for full loan forgiveness.
Ashford University Lawsuit.
On March 09, 2022, A San Diego Superior Court judge ruled that Ashford university must Pay $22 Million For False Claims About Student Loans.
The lawsuit was filed by the California Attorney General Rob Bonta against Ashford University, alleging that the school misled students in multiple ways regarding and benefits and cost of attending the school.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Ashford University:
- Misled students about the amount of student loans they would receive and the costs they would cover;
- misled students about their ability to become teachers using an Ashford degree;
- misled students about their ability to become nurses, social workers, and drug and alcohol counselors;
etc.
This however resulted in many students being saddled with large amounts of debt and few job prospects.
You can read more about this story here.
Ashford University Tuition and Fees
The estimated COA(cost of attendance) for Ashford University is $35,400 for Arizona residents and $55,600 for non-residents. All for the 2021-2022 academic year.
This includes tuition, books and supplies, room/board, and other expenses.
For more information on Ashford University tuition and fees, please click here.
Ashford University Acceptance Rate.
Ashford University has an acceptance rate of 85%.
Need Help with student loans?
If you’re having difficulty keeping up with your student loan payments, or want to learn more about your alternatives, do not hesitate to contact us. You can call or fill out a form and speak to one of our student loan advisors.
We have a number of resources that can help you make the best decision for your financial future.
