Bankruptcy Education

The United States Trustee Program is accepting applications for approval as a provider of a financial management instructional course for bankruptcy filers, under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act ("BAPCPA") of 2005.

Under BAPCPA, which was enacted on April 20, 2005, all individual debtors who file bankruptcy on or after October 17, 2005, must undergo credit counseling and must complete a financial management instructional course after they file bankruptcy. With certain exceptions, an individual is not eligible to file bankruptcy without completing credit counseling, and is not eligible to receive a bankruptcy discharge without completing a financial management instructional course. (MSUE will provide the financial management instructional course, not the credit counseling.)

BAPCPA directs the U.S. Trustee to approve budget and credit counseling agencies and providers of financial management instructional courses according to criteria set forth in the law. It also directs the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court to maintain a publicly available list of U.S. Trustee-approved budget and credit counseling agencies and financial management instructional courses.

All interested MSUE county offices must apply to provide bankruptcy education. Through communications between USDA-CSREES and the US Trustee’s Office, a streamlined application has been developed that Extension offices nationally can use to apply. To use the streamlined application, county offices must apply by December 31, 2005. To further assist county offices with the application, the Family Resource Management Area of Expertise Team has developed a template. This template can be used as a starting point in forming your application.

Downloads:

MSUE's response to bankruptcy education (DOC)
Template for MSUE staff members 2005 (DOC)
Appendix B (DOC)
Appendix C - Disclosure Statement (DOC)
FAQ (DOC)

Questions – contact Connie Costner, costner@msu.edu, 517-353-9102