Richard Cordray, the former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Barack Obama, has been appointed the chief operating officer of the Federal Student Aid office at the Department of Education.
Cordray, a former attorney general of Ohio and an unsuccessful candidate in the state's 2018 gubernatorial election, will be responsible for managing the department's student financial assistance programs, including grants, work-study and loans for students attending college or career school.
While he was CFPB director between January 2012 and November 2017, the agency pursued several student loan servicers for their illegal practices, which eventually netted millions of dollars for thousands of military service members and uncovered Wells Fargo's illegal practice of secretly opening unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts, which was the first of several scandals at the bank. Another lawsuit against Navient, the largest student loan processor, remains outstanding.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona noted Cordray's "strong track record as a dedicated public servant who can tackle big challenges and get results. I am confident that under his leadership, Federal Student Aid will provide the kind of service that our students, families, and schools deserve."
About 45 million borrowers owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, which is the second largest debt burden for Americans after mortgages.
Mark Kantrowitz, an expert on college financial aid, told ThinkAdvisor that Cordray is a "good choice," someone with "experience running a federal agency who knows how to get things done."
