Free Legal Help
There are only limited legal resources to assist student loan borrowers, but some options do exist.
There are legal aid and legal services organizations in every state that provide free legal help to people whose incomes fall below certain amounts or to people who meet other requirements. Contact your local legal aid organization to see if you qualify for free help. You can find your local legal aid or legal services agency at LawHelp.org. Depending on where you live, there may be more than one organization in your area.
Many legal aid programs are funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), an independent nonprofit established by Congress to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. LSC provides funding to 134 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. You can find the LSC-funded legal aid organizations in your area on LSC’s website.
If you cannot find a legal services organization in your area, try asking a local social services or consumer protection agency for referrals. Court clerks and bar associations often have information about legal services programs as well. You can use the American Bar Association legal help finder to find referrals to free legal help and private attorneys in your area. Finally, you can contact your state consumer protection agency for assistance or referrals. You can find your state consumer protection agency on this website.
Find a Private Consumer Lawyer
If you do not qualify for free legal help, you may be able to hire a lawyer to help you with your student loan issue. Student loans are generally a consumer law issue, and you may be able to find a consumer lawyer who handles student loan cases on the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) website. NACA keeps a list of its members, divided by area and type of consumer law problems they handle.
Another helpful resource is The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys website, which provides referral lists for local bankruptcy lawyers.
