Alan Michael Collinge is the founder of StudentLoanJustice.org, the first grassroots organization in the United States to advocate for student loan borrowers. Since founding StudentLoanJustice.Org in 2005, Collinge has been featured on 60 Minutes, and in print media including Fortune Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Phoenix, Village Voice, Inside Higher Ed, and others. He has published editorials in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Hill, among others.
Collinge served as an associate scientist of aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology, and also was regional project director for a government loan program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. He holds BS, MS, and Eng. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.The book exposes how the $85 billion student loan industry is built on exploiting borrowers. He explains how federal laws passed in the mid-1990s removed consumer protections from student loans, allowing companies to charge excessive penalties and use harsh methods to collect debts. The book also traces the history of student loans, the rise of companies like Sallie Mae, and how universities have profited at the expense of students.
Collinge shares true stories of people whose lives have been ruined by these predatory practices. With nearly 5 million loans in default, the crisis is getting worse. Collinge calls for the return of protections for borrowers and other reforms to fix this growing problem.