Student Dies Before Graduation--Citibank Still Collects from Grieving Parents

Our daughter Brittani was killed in a tragic and brutal car accident three days before her twenty-third birthday—just a week before her college graduation.

Brittani had dedicated her life to serving people and making people's lives better. She had her whole life ahead of her.

When Brittani died, she still had student loans to pay off, and for more than three years Citibank demanded repayment from our family. While we grieved, Citibank continued to demand payment, and we struggled to pay these bills monthly.

Our family is lucky. After more than three years of begging and pleading with Citibank, we started an online petition. With the help of our friends, MoveOn, and so many others, our petition spread fast. And once Citibank started to feel public pressure, they agreed to forgive Brittani's student debt.

But we're not the only ones who have had this experience with Citibank and other big banks. Citibank received a taxpayer bailout, while most families get no help when they need it most.

No one should have to go through think kind of ordeal. Citibank should institute a policy of student loan forgiveness when a student dies and stop going after family members.