in the late 1990's the Federal Direct Student Loaan Consolidation Program allowed married couples to consolidaate student loans. There was no provision made in the case of divorce. After divorce the program holds both indivisuals jointly responsible for the loans:
1. Enforcement is based on selecting one of the two ex-spouses and making them the "primary".
2. The DOE knows how much with each spouse owes.
3. Relief programs such as the public service debt forgiveness only applies to the spouse actually doing the service.
4. One spouse is left being entirely responsible for the entirety of both spouses loans.
5. The DOE has acknowledged this as a problem and has discontinued the program.
This petition asks the DOE to sever loans and hold each debtor responsible only for their own loans.