The Astroturf Lobby

Pity the student loan industry. Even with the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program on the verge of extinction, the industry’s plight has not generated grass-roots opposition from anyone other than those who have a vested interest in the program’s survival (yes, that includes financial aid administrators who serve on lender and guaranty agency advisory boards and/or belong to state associations that depend heavily on student loan providers for leadership and financial support).

There have not been any angry town hall meetings with citizens raging about a government takeover of this federal program. Students and their parents are not rushing the barricades to demand that lenders be allowed to continue collecting generous subsidies for making virtually risk-free loans.

The indifference of students and their families to President Obama’s proposal to kill FFEL shouldn’t come as a surprise — as the terms and conditions of federal student loans are pretty much identical whether they come from the loan industry or from the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Lending program. And despite the loan industry’s best efforts, students are not up in arms about losing their ability to choose their own lenders — because they’ve never really had much of a choice at all and most really couldn’t care less about where their federal loans come from, as long as they get the money on time to pay their college bills. Furthermore, students have never been able to choose between Direct Loans and FFEL, despite the collective misunderstandings of some Senate Republicans, the Heritage Foundation, and The Wall Street Journal. Only colleges and universities can choose which program their respective students borrow under, and it’s extremely unlikely that any student has chosen a college based on its participation in either Direct Lending or FFEL.

But just because there hasn’t been a groundswell of opposition to the President’s plan (and the House bill that would enact it) doesn’t mean that loan industry can not try to generate grass roots opposition itself. In a classic case of astroturf lobbying, the lobbying organization America’s Student Loan Providers is hosting a “Virtual Hill Day” this week to get “financial aid professionals, [lender and guaranty agency] employees, students, parents, and concerned citizens” to contact all 100 Senators to express their opposition to legislation that would eliminate FFEL. The group has helpfully provided “scripts” for those it wrangles up to speak on its behalf.

At the risk of spreading the industry’s messaging further, we have included the scripts below. We thought our readers would be interested to see what lenders are telling people to say:

National Virtual Capitol Hill days

Discussion Guides

No. 1

My name is _. I’m calling to ask the Senator to vote to protect valuable student loan jobs here in __.

The guaranteed student loan program has helped families all across the state get a college education. It sponsors free college nights, helps students navigate the financial aid process and works with borrowers to avoid default. Please tell the senator to support student loan reform that preserves options and important services for students, while protecting jobs here in ___. Thank you.

No. 2

My name is _ and I live in __. I’m calling about a student loan proposal that really concerns me.

I think it’s a mistake for the government to take over all federal student loans and replace local jobs. The guaranteed student loan program has helped many families in this state get a college education. It also has provided me with a quality job that helps me support my family. In this recession, I can’t afford to lose my job.

Please tell the senator to support reform that preserves valuable services for families and protects jobs. Thank you.

No. 3

My name is___. I’m calling because I’m worried about my job here in . Please tell Senator ___ to vote for a student loan reform plan that preserves competition and choice for students and colleges.

There is a broad coalition supporting a community proposal that builds on the President’s plan and delivers billions of dollars for Pell Grants, while also protecting important services for students and families and my job. It’s a win for students, taxpayers, and local jobs. Thank you.

No. 4

My name is _ and I live in _. I’m very worried about a proposal that would have the federal government take over the student loan program, replacing those like myself who are helping students and families in our State.

I’ve worked in student loans for __ years and I know first-hand how families benefit from the services [name of organization] provides. With unemployment on the rise, we need to continue these important services.

Please tell the senator that there are alternative reform proposals that preserve these services for students, while protecting jobs like mine. Thank you.