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We're the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency that makes sure banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat you fairly.

Learn how the CFPB can help you

I applied for a student loan but my lender denied my application. I think that the lender discriminated against me. What are my rights under the law?

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, it is illegal for a creditor (lender) to discriminate in any credit transaction against any applicant because of:

  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion
  • National origin
  • Sex (Gender)
  • Marital status
  • Age (if the applicant is old enough to enter into a contract)
  • Receipt of income from any public assistance program
  • Exercising in good faith a right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act, which includes consumer protection statutes relating to credit.

State or local law may prohibit discrimination on additional grounds.

This means that a creditor may not use any of the above grounds as a reason to:

  • Refuse you credit if you qualify for it
  • Discourage you from applying for credit
  • Provide you credit on terms that are different from the terms given to someone else who is similarly situated to you, such as having similar creditworthiness
  • Close your existing account.

If you believe that you were discriminated against on any of these grounds, you can file an official complaint or tell us about your experience.

Click here to file a complaint. You also can call us toll-free at 1-855-411-CFPB (2372).  To tell us about your experience without filing a formal complaint, click here.

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The content on this page provides general consumer information. It is not legal advice or regulatory guidance. The CFPB updates this information periodically. This information may include links or references to third-party resources or content. We do not endorse the third-party or guarantee the accuracy of this third-party information. There may be other resources that also serve your needs.