Staffers of Congress Family Members Are Also Exempt From Having to Pay Back Student Loans.
While being the child of a member of Congress may have its perks, they are responsible for repaying their student loans.
There have been several rumors going around for years about the perks members of Congress receive while serving in office and after their term ends, including whether or not they go costless health insurance for life — they don't, and if they become a pension equal to their full salary subsequently one twelvemonth of service, which is also not truthful, according to the Congressional Constitute.
VERIFY viewer Sandra R. says she has heard that the children of Congressional members are non required to repay their student loans, and she wants to know if that claim is true or false.
THE QUESTION
Are the children of members of Congress exempt from repaying their student loans?
THE SOURCES
THE Answer
No, the children of members of Congress are not exempt from repaying their student loans.
WHAT WE Constitute
In 2019, the VERIFY team debunked a viral "chain message" that was making its rounds on social media in which people were petitioning for a 28th Subpoena that would hold members of Congress accountable to the same laws equally all other Americans.
I of the claims from the chain bulletin stated that children and staffers of members of Congress are exempt from paying back their student loans.
VERIFY found that the claim is false and likely stems from a existent hiring practice known as the federal pupil loan repayment program.
"The Federal educatee loan repayment programme permits agencies to repay Federally insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency," according to the U.South. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). "The program implements 5 United statesC. 5379, which authorizes agencies to set up their own student loan repayment programs to attract or retain highly qualified employees."
OPM says on its website that any federal employee is eligible for the federal student loan repayment programme "except those occupying a position excepted from the competitive civil service because of their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating nature."
This ways members of Congress cannot benefit from this program. As well, because this program only applies to employees of federal agencies, information technology does not provide student loan forgiveness to the children of members of Congress either.
Meanwhile, a Congressional Constitute spokesperson pointed VERIFY to i of the many Congressional myths their squad has busted on its website: "Members of Congress do non need to pay educatee loans."
"Members of Congress are responsible for paying for their student loans. The House and Senate have programs that contribute toward the repayment of loans for lower-paid Congressional employees, merely federal law excludes members of the House and Senate from participating. This program is similar to ones plant throughout the private sector every bit an employee perk," according to the Congressional Institute. "Congress, different the rest of the federal government and virtually big employees, does non have a tuition reimbursement program, and ethics laws prohibit members from taking college courses without paying full tuition."
The Congressional Institute spokesperson says that while there is an additional benefit that may be offered to Congressional staff members earning less than $100,000 per year "where a sure amount will be paid toward that staffer's student loans during the term of their employment in the function," there is no provision in place for the children of members of Congress.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, all federal pupil loan borrowers are required to repay their loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees. Nonetheless, the bureau does offer flexible repayment plans, loan consolidation and forgiveness programs to those with federal pupil loans at StudentAid.gov.
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