This Woman's Son Was Murdered And She Still Has To Pay His Student Loans
Marcia DeOliveira-Longinetti has almost $17,000 left to pay of her son's loans.
Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare.
Marcia DeOliveira-Longinetti experienced the tragedy of her son Kevin's murder in January 2015. Situations like these are usually met with great empathy and heartfelt condolences, but one New Jersey loan company decided to make a nightmare situation even worse.
The loan company informed Marcia that her son's death "did not meet the threshold for loan forgiveness" and that his loans would still need to be paid.
Kevin's federal loans were met with condolences and the assurance that they would not need to be paid back.
The New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority did not give Marcia the same kindness and consideration every parent deserves after such a tragic loss.
The New York Times reports that the agency's response was swift. "Please accept our condolences on your loss. After careful consideration of the information you provided, the authority has determined that your request does not meet the threshold for loan forgiveness. Monthly bill statements will continue to be sent to you," the letter stated.
A 23 year-old man is tragically murdered, but that doesn't constitute loan forgiveness? If a tragic, untimely death does not elicit understanding and forgiveness from the state, then what will? This man was trying to put himself through school to get an education, and now his mother has to deal with not only his death, but also the financial burden of those loans. What is this unjust and unfair decision?
According to Raw Story, attorney Daniel Frischberg calls this state-sanctioned loan-sharking.
New Jersey has a severe policy on loan payback when it comes to illness, extreme poverty, and even death.
Like most states in America, New Jersey has a student loan program designed to help college students pay for their education and enter the competitive workforce with a degree in hand.
However, New Jersey's similarities to other states and their loan policies stop there. Their "loan-sharking" makes it extremely difficult for anyone facing dyer situations such as illness, poverty, or death to be exempt from paying back their loans.
Marcia is still grieving the loss of her son, and she is still expected to make the remaining 92 payments on his loan.
"We re not going to be poor because of this," she told The New York Times. "But every time I have to pay this thing, I think in my head, this is so unfair."
And it is unfair.
Gov. Chris Christie claims there is nothing he can do to stop the unethical actions of these loan agencies.
The Republican New Jersey Governor claims his hands are tied when it comes to changing the New Jersey loan program.
Christie's appointee, Gabrielle Charette, has the power to appoint 12 of the 18 student loan agency board members as well as veto any actions taken by the board.
For the sake of people like Marcia DeOliveira-Longinetti we are hoping that Charette does take advantage of the change she is capable of making so that no family has to suffer from not only the loss of a loved one, but also the loss of faith in the greed and negligence of their own home state.