Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 24, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will join other state Attorneys General, their consumer protection staff, and local and national policy leaders in a day-long symposium in Portland, Oregon, entitled: ‘Educational Debt – The Obligation of a Lifetime?’. AG Rosenblum will kick off the conference, which features two keynote speakers and panels addressing student debt and consumer protection topics like for-profit schools, student loan servicing, and ways to better inform students and parents before they incur debt. Education-related debt in the U.S. is now second only to home mortgage loans at $1.3 trillion, and it grows at nearly $3,000 per second, surpassing credit card debt. Rosenblum is chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG), which is hosting the symposium.
“The student debt crisis is one of the most critical issues facing our country. State Attorneys General have an important role to play in protecting our students and their families from literally a lifetime of debt,” said Attorney General Rosenblum. “I am very excited that leaders from around the country are coming together in Portland to learn and strategize with experts and policy-makers on this topic.”
The symposium aims to bring together policy leaders, government officials and experts in higher education to discuss possible legislation, state actions and other solutions to the student debt crisis. The symposium is the first time that state Attorneys General, the private sector, and federal and state government officials have come together to address this critical issue.
Rohit Chopra, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education and formerly the student loan ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be the lunchtime keynote speaker. Chopra helps police the nation’s colleges and universities student loan activity; his agency also oversees loan servicers, which collect monthly loan payments. The opening keynote will be delivered by Mark Kantrowitz, a nationally known academic expert on student debt.
The event is open to the media. Please contact Kristina Edmunson to RSVP, or for a full agenda.
| WHERE: | The Nines Hotel 525 SW Morrison St. Portland, OR 97204 |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, May 24, 2016 |
| TIME: | 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M. (Lunchtime Keynote) |
Contact:
Kristina Edmunson, Department of Justice, Kristina.Edmunson@doj.oregon.gov, 503-378-6002