Section 701 - Definitions(a) The term "advertisement" shall include, but is not limited to, all forms of marketing, solicitation, or dissemination of information related, directly or indirectly, to securing or obtaining a student debt consulting contract or services. Further, it shall include all commonly recognized forms of media marketing via television, radio, print media, all forms of electronic communication via the internet, and all prepared sales presentations given in person or over the internet to the general public.(b) "Borrower" means any resident of this state who has received a student loan or agreed in writing to pay a student loan or any person who shares a legal obligation with such resident for repaying a student loan.(c) "FSA ID" means a username and password allocated to an individual by the federal government to enable the individual to log in to certain United States department of education websites, and may be used to sign certain documents electronically.(d) "Student loan" means any loan to a borrower to finance post-secondary education or expenses related to post-secondary education.(e) "Student debt consulting contract" or "contract" means an agreement between a borrower and a consultant under which the consultant agrees to provide student debt consulting services.(f) "Student debt consultant" or "consultant" means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity that, directly or indirectly, solicits or undertakes employment to provide student debt consulting services. A consultant does not include the following:(1) a person or entity who holds or is owed an obligation on the student loan while the person or entity performs services in connection with the student loan;(2) a bank, trust company, private banker, bank holding company, savings bank, savings and loan association, thrift holding company, credit union or insurance company organized under the laws of this state, another state or the United States, or a subsidiary or affiliate of such entity or a foreign banking corporation licensed by the superintendent of financial services or the comptroller of the currency;(3) a bona fide not-for-profit organization that offers counseling or advice to borrowers;(4) an attorney admitted to practice in the state of New York when the attorney is providing student debt consulting services to a borrower free of charge;(5) a public post-secondary educational institution or private nonprofit post-secondary educational institution; or(6) such other persons as the superintendent prescribes by rule.(g) "Student debt consulting services" means services that a student debt consultant provides to a borrower that the consultant represents will help to achieve any of the following: (1) stop, enjoin, delay, void, set aside, annul, stay or postpone a default, bankruptcy, tax offset, or garnishment proceeding;(2) obtain a forbearance, deferment, or other relief that temporarily halts repayment of a student loan;(3) assist the borrower with preparing or filing documents related to student loan repayment;(4) advise the borrower which student loan repayment plan or forgiveness program to consider;(5) enroll the borrower in any student loan repayment, forgiveness, discharge, or consolidation program;(6) assist the borrower in re-establishing eligibility for federal student financial assistance;(7) assist the borrower in removing a student loan from default; or(8) educate the borrower about student loan repayment.N.Y. Financial Services Law § 701
Added by New York Laws 2020, ch. 58,Sec. MM-1, eff. 9/30/2020.