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Some Mississippians will benefit from Navient settlement

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Some Mississippi borrowers will benefit from $8 million student loan settlement

Navient, one of the country’s largest student loan servicers, has agreed to forgive $8.2 million in private debt for Mississippi borrowers under a settlement reached by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office last week. 

Mississippi borrowers who qualify under the settlement, which was approved Saturday by a Hinds County Chancery Court judge, will see their debt erased in the next 90 days. 

The Attorney General’s Office said it did not know yet how many borrowers qualify for the settlement, but it is likely only a narrow slice of the 438,000 Mississippians with student debt. The settlement mostly applies to borrowers with loans that became past-due starting in July 2014. Borrowers who are current on their loan payments will not see their debt forgiven. 

The settlement also requires Navient to make $1.7 million in restitution payments to Mississippi borrowers who the company placed into certain forbearance plans. That will likely amount to an average restitution payment of $260 depending on how many Mississippi borrowers qualify, said Michelle Williams, the attorney general’s chief of staff. 

Williams said Mississippi’s settlement is substantially similar to another deal that Navient announced last week. Starting in 2017, 39 states sued Navient for a slew of deceptive and illegal lending practices on subprime student loans the company knew borrowers could likely never repay. The settlement agreement reached with those states requires Navient to cancel $1.7 billion in student debt, and pay $95 million in restitution.

Mississippi did not join that lawsuit and instead sued Navient separately in 2018. In its complaint, the Attorney General’s Office described how Navient’s practices contributed to making Mississippi one of the worst states in the country for borrowers with student loan debt. Borrowers in Mississippi are significantly more likely to default than in other states — the fourth highest rate in the nation. 

“The result of Navient’s conduct is a generation of Mississippi youth suffering under the crushing burden of a mountain of unnecessarily high student loan debt,” the suit alleged. 

Mississippi borrowers who think they may qualify for the settlement should make sure their www.studentaid.gov account is updated to their current address.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Ole Miss women get pair of double-doubles and roll to 83-65 March Madness win over Ball State

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www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-03-22 09:03:00

SUMMARY: Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin found solace in returning to a different arena in Waco, Texas, following a disappointing previous tournament experience. The No. 5 seed Ole Miss Rebels redeemed themselves with an 83-65 victory over 12th-seeded Ball State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. Starr Jacobs led the Rebels with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott each scored 15 points. Ole Miss dominated rebounding, leading 52-32, and will face fourth-seeded Baylor next. Coach McPhee-McCuin noted the team’s evolution since their last visit and the significance of playing in Texas, where Jacobs feels at home.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 21-23

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-03-21 08:59:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (March 21-23), Mississippi offers a range of exciting events. Highlights include Hal’s Marching MALfunction Second Line Stomp and Jessie Robinson’s blues performance in Jackson, as well as the Natchez Food & Wine Festival and the Natchez Little Theatre’s production of *This Side of Crazy*. There are also numerous exhibitions like *Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South* in Jackson and *Gold in the Hills* in Vicksburg. Other events include the 48th Annual Crawfish Classic Tennis Tournament in Hattiesburg, karaoke nights in Laurel, and a variety of family-friendly activities across the state.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 14-16

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-03-14 07:26:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (March 14-16) in Mississippi offers a variety of events. In Jackson, iconic saxophonist Boney James performs at the convention center, while the JXN Food & Wine festival showcases culinary talents. The LeFleur Museum District hosts a “Week of Wonder,” and several exhibitions, including “Of Salt and Spirit,” celebrate Black quilters. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage tours, a reenactment of Annie Stewart’s story, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. In Hattiesburg, comedian Rob Schneider performs, and various events like a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl and a talent show will take place throughout the area.

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