Legal Aid attorney appointed to join U.S. Department of Education’s Affordability and Student Loans Negotiated Rulemaking Committee

Legal Aid attorney Josh Rovenger was appointed this month as an alternate negotiator on the United States Department of Education’s Affordability and Student Loans Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.

The Affordability and Student Loans Committee will help the U.S. Department of Education develop federal rules to cover all kinds of student loan policies, such as those related to income-driven repayment plans, public service loan forgiveness, various loan discharges, and more. The Committee is comprised of non-federal negotiators representing a range of constituencies, along with one federal negotiator from the Department of Education.

The Department of Education is required by law to use negotiated rulemaking to make regulatory changes for the programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This is done through a series of committee meetings during which these representatives, referred to as negotiators, work with the Department to come to consensus on the Department’s proposed regulations. In his role as an alternate negotiator, Attorney Rovenger will help represent legal assistance organizations that advocate on behalf of student borrowers.

“It is an honor to serve in this capacity and help ensure that student borrowers’ voices are heard when the Department of Education is making these important policy decisions,” Rovenger said.

As a Senior Attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s Economic Justice Practice Group, Josh handles cases concerning consumer issues, debt collection, unemployment compensation, and student loan discharge. He also works to engage community partners and educate student borrowers about their options, such as with this Facebook Live session on September 28.  

Prior to joining Legal Aid, Josh worked in private practice and served as an attorney at the Project on Predatory Student Lending, an organization housed at the Harvard Legal Services Center. Josh received his JD from Harvard Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy from The George Washington University.