For the purposes of this division, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) “Applicant” means a person applying for a license pursuant to this division.
(b) “Borrower” means either of the following:
(1) A person who has received or agreed to pay a student loan.
(2) A person who shares responsibility for repaying a student loan with a person described in paragraph (1).
(c) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Business Oversight.
(d) “Department” means the Department of Business Oversight.
(e) “Engage in the business” means, without limitation, servicing student loans.
(f) “In this state” means any activity of a person relating to servicing student loans that originates from this state and is directed to persons outside this state, or that originates from outside this state and is directed to persons inside this state, or that originates inside this state and is directed to persons inside this state.
(g) “Licensee” means a person licensed pursuant to this division.
(h) “Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, an association, a trust, an unincorporated organization, a government, or a political subdivision of a government, and any other entity.
(i) “Qualified written request” means a written correspondence made by a borrower, other than notice on a payment medium supplied by a licensee, that is transmitted by mail, facsimile, or electronically through an email address or Internet Web site designated by the licensee to receive communications from a borrower that does all of the following:
(1) Enables the licensee to identify the name and account of the borrower.
(2) Includes a statement of the reasons for the belief by the borrower, to the extent applicable, that the account is in error or that provides sufficient detail to the servicer regarding information sought by the borrower, such as a complete payment history for the loan or the borrower’s account, a copy of the borrower’s student loan promissory note, or the contact information for the creditor to whom the borrower’s student loan is owed.
(j) “Servicing” means any of the following activities related to a student loan of a borrower:
(1) Performing both of the following:
(A) Receiving any scheduled periodic payments from a borrower or any notification that a borrower made a scheduled periodic payment.
(B) Applying payments to the borrower’s account pursuant to the terms of the student loan or the contract governing the servicing.
(2) During a period when no payment is required on a student loan, performing both of the following:
(A) Maintaining account records for the student loan.
(B) Communicating with the borrower regarding the student loan on behalf of the owner of the student loan promissory note.
(3) Interacting with a borrower related to that borrower’s student loan, with the goal of helping the borrower avoid default on his or her student loan or facilitating the activities described in paragraph (1) or (2).
(k) (1) “Student loan” means any loan primarily for use to finance a postsecondary education and costs of attendance at a postsecondary institution, including, but not limited to, tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. A “student loan” includes a loan made to refinance a student loan.
(2) (A) A “student loan” shall not include an extension of credit under an open-end consumer credit plan, a reverse mortgage transaction, a residential mortgage transaction, or any other loan that is secured by real property or a dwelling.
(B) A “student loan” shall not include an extension of credit made by a postsecondary educational institution to a borrower if one of the following apply:
(i) The term of the extension of credit is no longer than the borrower’s education program.
(ii) The remaining, unpaid principal balance of the extension of credit is less than $1,500 at the time of the borrower’s graduation or completion of the program.
(iii) The borrower fails to graduate or successfully complete his or her education program and has a balance due at the time of his or her disenrollment from the postsecondary institution.
(l) “Student loan servicer” means any person engaged in the business of servicing student loans.
(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 824, Sec. 2. (AB 2251) Effective January 1, 2017. Operative July 1, 2018, pursuant to Section 28182.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018