H.R. 4596

Student Loan Advocacy Act

This bill revises the purpose, authority, and management of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), and it establishes the Office of the Borrower Advocate within the FSA to assist borrowers in resolving certain problems.

The FSA is the performance-based organization responsible for managing the administrative and oversight functions supporting federal student aid programs. The bill places certain transparency, oversight, and accountability requirements (e.g., data collection, sharing, and publication) on the FSA, and it revises requirements related to the FSA's performance plan and reporting on such performance.

The bill also establishes the Office of the Borrower Advocate to replace the Student Loan Ombudsman that is currently responsible for informally resolving complaints from student loan borrowers. This office shall (1) assist student loan borrowers in resolving problems with the FSA; (2) compile, analyze, publish, and attempt to resolve borrowers' complaints; and (3) make recommendations with respect to federal student loan programs and the experiences of borrowers in repayment under such programs. The bill also places additional requirements on the office such as making certain student loan oversight information available to the public.