Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy

Student loan debt has mushroomed over the past decade. That, combined with a tough job market for recent and not-so-recent graduates plus declining incomes has created a student loan debt crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are struggling to make huge student loan payments each month. Some are barely keeping up and others are already behind. Since 2005 it has been extremely difficult to discharge both government and private student loans in bankruptcy. However, it's not impossible -- and some courts across the country are loosening up a bit.

Below you can learn about the standard you must meet in order to discharge (wipe out) student loans in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. You can also learn how filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help you manage student loan payments, at least for the duration of your three-to-five year payment plan. But if you are struggling with student loan debt, be sure to also check out Nolo's Student Loan area. There are many federal programs that can help youo manage your loans -- from flexible repayment plans to temporarily delaying payments to, in some cases, getting rid of them altogether.