Courtney Urges Service Members to Review Student Loan Settlement
NORWICH—Today Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) issued a statement urging Connecticut veterans and servicemembers with student loans serviced by Navient Solutions to contact the Department of Justice’s special hotline after June 12th to determine if they are eligible for a settlement from the company.
Navient agreed to a $60 million settlement with the DOJ last year for charging excess interest to nearly 78,000 servicemembers nationwide—a violation of the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. According to the DOJ, payments will range from $10 to over $100,000, with an average of about $771.
“As a member of both the House Armed Services and Education committees who has heard from servicemembers ensnared in unaffordable, bait-and-switch education programs, I am grateful for the dogged efforts of the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect the rights of our servicemembers,” Courtney said. “For those affected by Navient’s excessive interest charges, this settlement will help reverse damage to credit histories and return money they are rightfully owed.
“Connecticut veterans and servicemembers who think they may have been subject to Navient’s overcharging can call (855) 382-6421 starting on June 12th to speak with Department of Justice representatives about the settlement. As always, my office remains a resource as well, and those seeking help can call my Norwich office at (860) 886-0139 to speak to a member of my staff for assistance.”
Congressman Courtney is a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee as well as the House Armed Services Committee.