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Heres one sign that what has been called a mounting student debt crisis has begun to hurt lenders: write-offs jumped 46% during the first eight months of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012.
January 2 -
The Riverwoods, Ill., company is the second large private student lender in two weeks to announce plans to enter the long-moribund refinancing market.
January 24
As I read "
The "stubbornly high rate of student loan delinquencies" and write-offs cited in the story combined both private and federal student loans, which is like throwing apples and oranges in the same bag. It may work at the grocery store, but it doesn't make for a useful comparison.
Private student loans are an asset class that has been a solid performer. According to a
This data set was echoed by a
As of the third quarter of 2012, only 3.89% of private student loans were seriously delinquent as measured as a percent of loans in repayment, and have declined to 3% in the third quarter of 2013, according to MeasureOne.
Private student loans are a well-performing asset for a number of reasons. They are subject to rigorous underwriting, and the student and parents must reapply with the lenders for the loan each year. The serial nature of student lending requires new applications with fresh credit pulls each year. A borrower can have their new loan request denied if their credit has dropped dramatically, preventing bad loans from continuing to be originated.
Federal loans typically lack a credit check and don't undergo serious underwritingthey are a needs-based decision. It is difficult to be turned down for a federal loan and the results of this sad reality are played out in the media in a weekly litany.
Most private loans have co-signers. MeasureOne, for instance, found that during the last four academic years, more than 90% of undergraduate and 75% of graduate private student loans included a co-signer. School certification has become standard practice as student loansboth federal and privateare now disbursed directly to the school. There are no more trips to Europe or motorcycle purchases on Uncle Sam's dime.
Beyond the hard numbers, though, there is a hard rationale to provide financing for college expenses since the cost of college keeps escalating. Total costs for a public university can range from $20,000 to $40,000 annually. A private university can range from $30,000 to $100,000. Federal loans cover only a fraction of this expense.
For lenders, financing college costs can be a means of attracting Gen Y customersa demographic that has been cool to financial institutions in recent years. With a college degree they will earn considerably more than a high school graduate.
Gen Y born between the 1980s and the year 2000 is the largest generation in U.S. history and forms the future customer base for loans. This group will make up 50% of the workforce by 2020 and will have combined incomes estimated to reach
Lenders who ignore this age group do so at their peril. As there are many new entrants to the lending landscape. Affinity groups, alumni organizations, online lenders and other competitors promise quick and easy loans to their "members" and consumers who share interests and affiliations.
Many folks in this age group are still struggling to find jobs, pay off student debt and make their way in this post-recessionary world. A loan for a young adult can be a practical method to learn financial literacya life skill often not taught in our schools. The experience in applying for and paying off a loan is an invaluable skill, as is the discipline of establishing and maintaining good credit.
Finally, private student loans are part of the mix that helps finance college education, along with federal loans and savings. We shouldn't lose sight of the numbers that indicate private student loans are performing well. And there are few better ways to invest in the rebuilding of America than investing in our children and providing the means for a college education.
Vince Passione is CEO of LendKey Technologies. He can be reached at vince.passione@lendkey.com.
