Connecticut Student Loan Foundation v. Riley

948 F. Supp. 156, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20468, 1996 WL 742851
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedOctober 29, 1996
Docket3:93 CV-2570 (JBA)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 948 F. Supp. 156 (Connecticut Student Loan Foundation v. Riley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Connecticut Student Loan Foundation v. Riley, 948 F. Supp. 156, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20468, 1996 WL 742851 (D. Conn. 1996).

Opinion

ARTERTON, District Judge.

Upon careful review and pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Rule 2 of the Local Rules for United States Magistrates (D.Conn.1994), this well-reasoned recommended ruling is APPROVED and ADOPTED as the ruling of this Court, absent any objection filed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

RECOMMENDED RULING ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS THE COMPLAINT OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

MARTINEZ, United States Magistrate Judge.

This is a declaratory judgment action brought by the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation (“CSLF”) against the United States Department of Education and its Secretary (collectively, the “Secretary”). CSLF challenges the Secretary’s interpretation of changes made to 20 U.S.C. § 1078(b)(1)(G) by the Student Loan Reform Act of 1993, Pub.L. 103-66 Title IV, Subtitle A. Specifically, CSLF seeks a declaration that the statute gives it discretion to guarantee student loans at any rate between 98 and 100.% despite the Secretary’s promulgation of regulations requiring CSLF to insure loans only at 98%.

CSLF has moved for summary judgment. The Secretary has moved to dismiss the complaint for . lack of standing or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. For the reasons stated below, the court recommends that the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment and the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint be DENIED and. that the defendants’ motion for summary judgment be GRANTED.

I. BACKGROUND

The Guaranteed Student Loan Program, 20 U.S.C. § 1071 et seq., was enacted as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to encourage lending by private banks to students by providing federal subsidies on interest rates and federal guarantees for repayment. Maine State Bd. of Educ. v. Cavazos, 956 F.2d 376, 377 (1st Cir.1992). Any state wishing to allow its students to obtain federally guaranteed loans must either establish a state guaranty agency or designate a private nonprofit guaranty agency to administer the loans. 20 U.S.C. § 1078(b)(1)(E). CSLF is a private, nonprofit corporation created by the State of Connecticut for that purpose.

The Guaranteed Student Loan Program works in three basic steps: (1) private lenders (usually banks) are authorized to make low-interest loans to eligible students;. (2) the guaranty agency guarantees the loans by the private .lenders; and (3) the Department of Education reinsures the loan by reimbursing the guaranty agency for all or part of then-expenses in covering student defaults for private lenders. 20 U.S.C. § 1078(a)-(c). The rate at which the federal government reimburses the guaranty agency for defaults varies between 78%, 88% and 98% according to the guaranty agency’s default rate. Id.

A guaranty agency’s functions include advertising the program to banks, reimbursing banks for student defaults and collecting defaulted loans from students. Maine State Bd. of Educ., 956 F.2d at 377-78. In order to perform its role, a guaranty agency maintains “reserve funds.” 34 C.F.R. § 682.410. Reserve funds consist of funds received from a variety of sources including collections from students on defaulted loans and reimbursements made to the agency by the federal government. 34 C.F.R. § 682.410(a)(2). By law, all money deposited in the reserve funds is the property of the United States, 20 U.S.C. § 1072(g), and may only be used for student loan program purposes as directed by the Secretary, 34 C.F.R. § 682.410(a)(2).

The Secretary -not only has ultimate control over the reserve funds, but also has *158 ultimate control over the guaranty agency’s loans. If a guaranty agency’s reserve funds are inadequate and placing the agency in danger of insolvency, or if the Secretary believes it is necessary to protect the government’s fiscal interest, the Secretary may take over any or all of a guaranty agency’s loans. 20 U.S.C. §§ 1078-9(c)(8) & 1082(o).

To participate in the program, all guaranty agencies are required to enter into several agreements with the Secretary in which the agency promises, among other things, to conform both to the existing federal statutes and regulations and to abide by new obligations that Congress or the Secretary might impose in the future. See Exhibits 2 & 8 to Defendants’ Memorandum in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss Or, in the Alternative, for Summary Judgment; 20 U.S.C. § 1078(b); 34 C.F.R. § 682.400 et seq.

Pursuant to its agreements with the Secretary, a guaranty agency’s failure to comply with any provisions of its contract or applicable law or regulations may result in the Secretaiy’s withholding of reimbursements on defaulted loans. In addition, civil penalties may be imposed where the guaranty agency “has violated or failed to carry out any provision of this part or any regulation prescribed under this part____” 20 U.S.C. § 1082(g).

Originally, the Higher Education Act required guaranty agencies to insure “not less than 100 percent of the unpaid principal of loans insured under the program.” 20 U.S.C. § 1078(b)(1)(G) (1965). The requirement changed in 1993, when Congress amended the statute. The amendment provided that 98 percent be substituted for 100 percent. The statute now requires guaranty agencies to insure “not less than 98 percent of the unpaid principal of loans insured under the program.” The amendment also added an exception to the “not less than 98 percent” insurance requirement. The exception provides that guaranty agencies “shall insure 100 percent of the unpaid principal of loans” made by certain lenders to students who were considered to be at high risk of default. See 20 U.S.C. § 1078(b)(1)(G).

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Bluebook (online)
948 F. Supp. 156, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20468, 1996 WL 742851, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/connecticut-student-loan-foundation-v-riley-ctd-1996.