Will bankruptcy remove student loans?
August 2010

The Bankruptcy Code used to say that student loans could be discharged if they were more than 7 years old AND some other criteria were met. In the past few years, the Code was changed and now the Bankruptcy Code says (in 11 USC 523): “(a) A discharge ... does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt- (8) for an educational benefit overpayment or loan made, insured or guaranteed by a governmental unit, or made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit or nonprofit institution, or for an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship or stipend, unless excepting such debt from discharge under this paragraph will impose an undue hardship on the debtor and the debtor’s dependents.” This means that you can only discharge student loans in bankruptcy if you can show that repayment causes an undue hardship on you or your dependents.

-Michael Koziol