Are student loans dischargeable now?
CAdeepwater1 month ago
Heard the rules changed. Can I discharge federal student loans in bankruptcy now?
Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.
1 reply
✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first
Easier than before, still not easy. In late 2022 DOJ issued guidance creating a much friendlier 'undue hardship' procedure for federal student loans in bankruptcy. Attorneys file an attestation; DOJ stipulates to discharge if criteria are met (low income, no realistic ability to repay over the loan term, good-faith repayment efforts). Anecdotally, discharge rates jumped from <1% pre-2022 to a much higher number under the new procedure when filers are well-screened. Private student loans are a separate analysis and have always been somewhat harder. Worth an adversary-proceeding consult if you have $50k+ in federal loans and meet the income criteria.
More conversations about this topic
Around the case
Other things people in your situation usually need to handle. Some are paid partners; some are free community resources — labeled clearly.
🤝 Community resource · We don't earn from this
LSC · Find local legal aid
Legal-aid directory · Free · income-qualified
Legal Services Corporation directory of every nonprofit legal-aid program in the US. Most provide free representation for income-qualified clients.
Find your local office →★ Lawma trusts this · Not an ad
AnnualCreditReport.com
Free credit reports · Free · 3 reports / year
The federally-mandated free credit report site — all three bureaus, no card required, no upsell. Critical first step for post-divorce or post-bankruptcy planning.
Get your reports →✦ Sponsored partner
Notarize.live
Online notary · $25–$30 per document
Notarize court papers from your phone in ~10 minutes. Most family-law forms accepted in CA, TX, NY, FL, IL.
Start a session →Add your reply
Share what helped you. Be kind — and remember this is your experience, not legal advice.
Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.