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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

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 25-27

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-25 09:48:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 25-27) features a variety of events across Central and Pine Belt regions. Highlights include MiraGotSoul at Vibe Studio in Jackson, a community Dinner and Movie in Clinton, and the Natchez Kite Festival. Enjoy live performances with Sweet Lizzy Project in Natchez and the New Bourbon Street Jazz Band in Clinton. Family-friendly activities include the Native Plant Fest and Community Farmers Market in Jackson. In Hattiesburg, catch the Henry Cho tour and the Downtown Crawfish Jam Music Festival. Overall, it’s a weekend full of entertainment, culture, and fun activities for all ages.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 18-20

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-18 07:36:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (April 18-20), Mississippi offers a variety of events for all ages. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, a jazz concert, free outdoor movie screenings, and multiple exhibitions including “Of Salt and Spirit” and “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers.” For family fun, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the Ag Museum and “Bunnies & Butterflies” at MCM. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage, Lafayette’s 200th anniversary celebration, and a farmers market. In the Pine Belt, highlights include Live at Five, a Spring Candle-Making Workshop, and Easter events at the Hattiesburg Zoo. Don’t miss the Bluff City Block Party and more!

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 11-13

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-11 07:37:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 11-13), enjoy a variety of events across the state. Highlights include the Eudora Welty Birthday Bash in Jackson, Trivia Night at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and Boots & Bling Fundraiser in Natchez. For family fun, check out the Bunny Bonanza in Jackson or the Easter Egg Hunt in Clinton. The Natchez Concours d’Elegance Car Show and Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival offer cultural experiences, while the 12th Annual Dragon Boat Regatta in Ridgeland and the Hub City Classic Car Show in Hattiesburg provide exciting activities for all ages.

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