Wondering Where Your Tax Refund Might Be? Check Your Student Loan Debt
By now millions of taxpayers have already filed their returns and have received their refunds. Still, there are others who are waiting for that check to show up in their account. For some, that wait can be very difficult and even cause a little anxiety. In most cases, there’s no need to worry. Just give it enough time and the IRS should be sending your refund soon. On the other hand, for some people who owe money on their student loans, the news might not be so good.
Several taxpayers are discovering this year that the refund they were expecting to get has instead been allocated for something else: to pay off their student loan debt. While this may come as a surprise to many, the law allows the Department of Education to take your tax refund if your student loan debt is in default. They can do this by using the Treasury Offset Program, which allows federal payments you would have otherwise received, to be taken and used to pay off debts to federal agencies.
However, according to the law, anyone who has a loan in default should first receive a warning that his or her tax refund could be used for paying down that student loan debt. In addition, if you do lose part or all of your refund, you can contest the decision. However, in order to win your protest essentially you have to prove that your student loan is not actually in default.
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment: The Path to Sustainable Growth
Entrepreneurship has long been recognized as a powerful driver of economic growth and social transformation. Across the globe, individuals with innovative ideas and the determination to bring them to life have created businesses that fuel economies, generate employment, and uplift communities. Nowhere is this potential more evident than in Africa, where a young, vibrant population…
Bob Gay on The Pillars of Self-Reliance
The Pillars of Self-Reliance At the recent Legacy Builders Conference, Robert Gay captivated the audience with a profound message: true impact comes not from handouts, but from empowering individuals to achieve self-reliance. A distinguished investor, philanthropist, and humanitarian, Gay has spent decades applying the principles of entrepreneurship and accountability to lift millions out of poverty.…
The Future of Sustainable Philanthropy
At the Legacy Builders 2025 Conference, three leading voices in philanthropy-Mark Lutz, Pamela Hawley, and Zoe Ryan-came together to share their insights on how to create lasting, community-driven impact in global development. While their experiences and approaches varied, a common theme emerged: true sustainability in philanthropy begins with listening to, investing in, and empowering local leadership. Mark Lutz: Building…
From the Wrestling Mat to Data Innovation: How Dr. Naveen Singh is Reshaping Tech
In the world of high-stakes tech entrepreneurship, background stories don’t get much more unique than that of Dr. Naveen Singh. A former Olympic-style wrestler turned telecom executive, turned Distributed Ledger Technology pioneer, Dr. Singh has woven seemingly disparate fields—sports, healthcare, and cutting-edge tech—into a singular mission. Now at the helm of Inery, a decentralized database management system…