The U.S. government projects to make more money off student loans this fiscal year than ExxonMobil, Apple, J.P. Morgan Chase or Fannie Mae made on their respective businesses last year, a new analysis shows.
According to the Congressional Budget Office’s latest projections, the federal government projects a record $50-billion profit on student loans this year. ExxonMobil made $44.9 billion in 2012, according to published reports, making it the most profitable company in the country. And if Congress doesn’t stop rates on some loans from doubling on July 1, that profit will rise more, up to an additional $21 billion, a recent report found. However, there are those who claim the projections don’t accurately reflect risk taken by the government and the profits are much smaller.
“I can understand private companies making profits off student loans — part of mine are private — but it doesn’t make sense for the government to be making huge profits off the backs of young students just trying to make themselves employable in a terrible economy,” said Kristy Currier, 26, of Detroit.
Full story: Government projects to make $50B in student loan profit