Student loan servicers and providers of campus financial product were the focus of remarks given yesterday by Director Cordray at the Ohio College Presidents’ Conference.

Director Cordray stated that the CFPB estimates that eight million Americans “are now in default on a student loan – and strengthening student loan servicing is essential to getting this growing problem under control.”  … Continue Reading

In its fifth annual report on college credit card agreements, the CFPB takes financial institutions as well as colleges and universities to task for failing to adequately disclose their marketing agreements for campus financial products.  The annual report is required by the CARD Act.

The CARD Act requires institutions of higher education to disclose publicly their credit card marketing agreements. … Continue Reading

We recently commented that financial institutions offering financial products to college students, including debit or prepaid cards, under agreements with colleges should be planning now for the possible advent of new restrictions from the Department of Education (ED) on their practices and agreement terms, including the distinct possibility of public disclosure of the agreements themselves. … Continue Reading

The CFPB wants financial institutions to post on their websites their marketing agreements with colleges and universities for financial products other than credit cards, such as deposit accounts, prepaid cards and financial aid disbursement accounts.  Pursuant to the CARD Act, card issuers must submit their campus credit card agreements annually to the CFPB together with their related marketing agreements and certain information, including the amount of compensation they paid to schools. … Continue Reading

Findings on campus banking products released this past Monday by the CFPB in conjunction with a Banking on Campus Forum held in Washington, D.C. appear to be a harbinger of new limitations on the marketing of these products.  The findings were based on comments the CFPB received in response to a January 2013 notice seeking input on a variety of issues with regard to these products, including the information shared between schools and financial institution providers, the way these products are marketed, the fee structures for these products, how marketing arrangements are established, and student experiences with these products. … Continue Reading