Graphic of website search engine for veterans benefits

• "I Am Not Invisible Exhibit"Oregon | Commemoration/Acknowledgement
  N/A or not disclosed
  Female
  
• Anti-Discrimination Law (Military Status and Spouses of Deploying Veterans)Oregon | Anti-Discrimination Law/Policy (Vet Status)
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty, Dependents
  
• College Credit for Military TrainingOregon | Educational Credit/Diploma
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Direct Professional Licensing for Military ExperienceOregon | License/Certification
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Employment ProtectionOregon | (Re-)Employment Protection
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Federal Pension Income Tax Subtraction for Military RetireesOregon | Income Tax
  N/A or not disclosed
  Retired
  
• Free Camping at State Parks for Disabled Veterans and Active DutyOregon | Park/Camping/Lodging Admissions
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Free Fishing and Hunting Licenses for Disabled War VeteransOregon | Fishing/Hunting License
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), Served in Combat
  
• Free Parking at State Parks for Disabled Veterans and Active DutyOregon | Toll/Travel Fare/Parking Discount
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• In-State Tuition for VeteransOregon | Tuition-Rate
  Discount Equivalent to In-State/Resident Rate
  All Veterans, Killed/Died (Service-Connected), Survivors
  
• Income Tax Deduction for Active Duty Pay Earned Inside of StateOregon | Income Tax
  Up to $6,000 deduction
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Income Tax Exemption for Active Duty Pay Earned Outside of StateOregon | Income Tax
  No income tax
  Active Duty
  
• Military and Veteran License PlatesOregon | Vehicle License Plates
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, 100% Disabled, Purple Heart, Killed/Died (Service-Connected), Served in Combat
  
• ODVA Home Loan ProgramOregon | Loan/Financing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Oregon DVA Conservatorship ProgramOregon | Guardianship/Custodianship
  N/A or not disclosed
  Indigent/Unable to Care for Self
  
• Oregon DVA Conservatorship ProgramOregon | Legal Assistance
  N/A or not disclosed
  Indigent/Unable to Care for Self
  
• Oregon Service-Disabled Veteran CertificationOregon | Preferred Status (Business)
  N/A or not disclosed
  Disabled (Service-Connected)
  
• Oregon Veterans' Emergency AssistanceOregon | Emergency Relief
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, Low Income/Homeless vet/Hardship, Dependents
  
• Oregon Veterans' HomesOregon | Residential Housing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Dependents
  
• Oregon Veterans' HomesOregon | Residential Housing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Dependents
  
• Oregon Wounded Warrior Parking PlacardOregon | Toll/Travel Fare/Parking Discount
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected)
  
• Property Tax Exemption for Disabled VeteransOregon | Property
  No property tax
  Disabled (Service-Connected), Other than Dishonorable Discharge, Survivors
  
• Resident Rate Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Active DutyOregon | Fishing/Hunting License
  Discount Equivalent to In-State/Resident Rate
  Active Duty
  
• State Council - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military ChildrenOregon | Primary/Secondary School Assistance
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty, Dependents
  
• State Tuition Assistance for Oregon National GuardOregon | Scholarship/Tuition-Assistance
  100% covered
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Statewide Apprenticeships (BOLI)Oregon | Training/Apprenticeship
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veteran Volunteer ProgramOregon | Benefits Counseling/Determinations
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veteran's Day Off for All VeteransOregon | Commemoration/Acknowledgement
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veterans Designation on Driver's LicenseOregon | Driver's License/ID - Designation
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Veterans PreferenceOregon | Preferred Status (Employment/Training)
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Voyager Tuition Assistance ProgramOregon | Scholarship/Tuition-Assistance
  To the "Last Dollar," or the difference between what federal aid programs cover and the actual cost of tuition
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Women Veterans CoordinatorOregon | Claims Assistance/Benefits Advocacy
  N/A or not disclosed
  Female
  
• WorkSource Oregon Priority for Veterans and SpousesOregon | Preferred Status (Employment/Training)
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, Dependents
  
• Troops to Teachers Grant Coordination OfficesOregon | Hiring Facilitation
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Active Duty
  
  

About Us
The Institute of Student Loan Advisors Corporation (TISLA) was founded to ensure that all student loan borrowers have access to free, neutral and clear student loan advice and dispute resolution assistance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit who believes that these borrowers have a right to a trusted resource with industry experience to mentor, educate and advocate for them. Student loan borrowers have a right to such a resource without being charged a fee, barraged with advertisements or forced to provide personal information that may later be sold.

Our goal is to help you help yourself. We are not here to manage your student loans for you, but to give you expert advice and help you to manage them successfully. We will offer fair, neutral advice that outlines what you are eligible for that is in line with current regulation and statute.

What We Can Do For You

• Offer expert advice on your student loans
• Help you decide which repayment plan make the most sense for you
• Determine if you are eligible for loan forgiveness or discharge
• Offer guidance in any dispute you may have regarding your student loans
• Guide you through completing required forms and applications
• Help you get out of a default or delinquency status
  
• 
  

What We Cannot Do For you

• Offer legal advice
• Offer opinions on a particular company or servicer
• Fill out or submit your forms for you
• Pay your loans
• Change the law or regulations
• Manage your loan accounts for you
  
• 
  

Testimonials
From James D. August 1, 2018

“I am very happy that I found freestudentloanadvice.org. I was very frustrated with trying to solve my student loan issues on my own and Betsy was such a great help with advice and follow up. Thank you so much!”

How We Are Funded

At the core of TISLA’s values is the promise of free, neutral and transparent student loan advice. For that reason, we do not accept advertising funds from any businesses nor fees from consumers. TISLA is funded through grants, donations and our fee for service products we offer to employers, schools and associations with constituencies concerned with student debt. 

Such donations and partnerships will be listed on this page to ensure continued transparency. If you are interested in helping to fund TISLA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org or donate through donorbox online.

TISLA 2018 Annual Report

Partnership Opportunities

TISLA offers several affordable and customizable packages to suit your constituencies needs for expert student loan repayment education and assistance.  These offerings are suitable for employers looking to attract and retain valuable employees or schools who wish to provide student loan assistance to their alumni, students and employees.  Our services can also be a way for associations to provide additional value to their members.  Please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org for more information on partnering with TISLA.

Our Leadership

TISLA is currently completing its board roster. If you, or someone you know, has a passion for the issue of student debt, can contribute their business, non-profit or other expertise and influence, and would like to consider serving, please contact betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org

Our Mission

To make certain that all student loan borrowers have access to free, neutral and accurate resources and mentoring to ensure they can successfully manage their student loan debt.

Our Values

• Accuracy
• Clarity
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Approachable
• Respect
• Neutrality
• Transparency
• To be of service to others

Bankruptcy Exemption Limits (what you can keep) Amounts Going Up

Bankruptcy Code § 104(b) provides that the exemption amounts and other dollar figures in the Code are automatically adjusted for inflation every three years. The adjustments are based on changes to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Department of Labor, rounded to the nearest $25.


New dollar amounts take effect on April 1, 2019, and will apply to all cases filed on or after that date. Consumer debtors who may benefit from the higher dollar amounts, particularly with respect to exemptions, the means test, and chapter 13 debt limitations, may wish to delay a bankruptcy filing until the new amounts take effect on April 1, 2019.


Despite popular belief, many lower-income bankruptcy filers can retain all or almost all of their assets in a chapter 7 bankruptcy. The new higher exemption limits means that it is even more likely that consumers can protect their assets in a chapter 7 filing.

New Exemption Amounts Protect More Consumer Property

Consumers in states that have not opted out of the federal exemptions may claim the bankruptcy exemptions under Bankruptcy Code § 522(d), as discussed in NCLC’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice § 10.2.1.1.

The federal bankruptcy exemptions may also be claimed if the “safe harbor” in Bankruptcy Code § 522(b)(3)(A) applies due to the consumer’s domicile for exemption purposes, even if the state in which the consumer’s domicile is located is otherwise an opt-out state, as discussed in id. § 10.2.1.2.

Exemption amounts refer not to the value of property, but to the consumer’s equity in the property after deducting outstanding credit secured by that property. The exemption amounts in Bankruptcy Code § 522(d) are doubled when a married couple files a joint case. 11 U.S.C. § 522(m).

For a state-by-state summary of state exemption amounts that apply to bankruptcies in certain states and that also protect property from seizure by judgment creditors, see NCLC’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice Appendix J. The same state-by-state survey is found in NCLC’s Collection Actions Appendix G.

As of April 1, the digital version of NCLC’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice will be updated throughout showing the new higher dollar amounts, both in the chapters and the Bankruptcy Code appendix (with footnotes showing the old dollar amounts). The following are the new exemption amounts:


Homestead - § 522(d)(1)                                      $25,150
Motor Vehicle - § 522(d)(2)                                   $ 4,000
Household Goods - § 522(d)(3) Per Item Limit        $ 625
Aggregate Limit Household goods                       $13,400
Jewelry - § 522(d)(4)                                             $ 1,700
Wild Card - § 522(d)(5) Any property                    $ 1,325
Wild Card Unused homestead § 522(d)(1)          $12,575
Tools of the Trade - § 522(d)(6)                            $ 2,525
Unmatured Life Insurance - § 522(d)(8)               $13,400
Personal Injury Claims - § 522(d)(11)(D)              $25,150

Exemption for Retirement Accounts

As discussed in NCLC’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice § 10.2.3.3, the federal bankruptcy exemption for retirement funds in pension plans and individual retirement accounts is available to all debtors, even those in “opt-out” states who would not otherwise be permitted to claim the federal exemptions. 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(12) and § 522(b)(3)(C). The maximum dollar amount for this exemption also adjusts every three years. 11 U.S.C. § 522(n). The new maximum aggregate value of funds in retirement accounts that may be exempted will be $1,362,800.

Other Dollar Amount Adjustments in the Code

The inflation adjustment also applies to other dollar amounts in the Code, including:

• • Priority for wages and employee benefits under Bankruptcy Code § 507(a)(4) will now be $13,650, and the priority for consumer deposits under Bankruptcy Code § 507(a)(7) will be $3,025. Distribution to priority creditors is discussed in NCLC’s Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice § 3.5.4 and § 18.5.5.


• • Debt limits for eligibility for chapter 13 under Bankruptcy Code § 109(e) will also go up—to $419,275 in unsecured debt and to $1,257,850 in secured debt. The chapter 13 debt limitations are discussed at id. § 4.2.1.3.


• • Threshold for the presumption of nondischargeability under Bankruptcy Code § 523(a)(2)(C) for purchases of luxury goods or services incurred within 90 days prior to filing will be $725 and for cash advances within 70 days prior to filing will be $1,000. A discussion of when these presumptions arise can be found at id. § 15.4.3.2.3.2.


• • Dollar amounts under the means test for determining whether a presumption of abuse exists, based on the debtor’s income after expenses over a 60-month period, will now be: (i) $8,175 ($136.25 per month based on 60 period) or 25% of nonpriority unsecured debt, whichever is greater, or (ii) $13,650 ($227.50 per month). 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(2)(A)(i). These dollar amounts are discussed at id. § 13.4.6.1.


• • The cap on homestead property acquired within 1215 days before the bankruptcy filing under Bankruptcy Code § 522(p) or based on the commission of certain bad acts by the debtor under Bankruptcy Code § 522 (q) will be $170,350. These limitations on state homestead exemptions are discussed at id. § 10.2.3.4.


• • The minimum aggregate amount of property that a trustee may seek to recover as preference in a case filed by a debtor whose debts are primarily consumer debts will now be $6,825. 11 U.S.C. § 547(c)(9). This limitation on a trustee’s ability to avoid transfers as a preference is discussed at id. § 10.4.2.6.4.2.


• • The amount in an education IRA, a section 529 tuition savings program, and a qualified ABLE account that is excluded from property of the estate, if placed in such an account between 365 and 720 days before the petition was filed, will now be $6,825. 11 U.S.C. §§ 541(b)(5)(C), 541(b)(6)(C), 541(b)(10)(C). This exclusion from the bankruptcy estate is discussed at id. § 2.5.3.
  

 We are launching a new “Tell YOUR Story” tool that will enable residents, families, ombudsmen, and those who work with them tell their story about nursing home or assisted living care.

The form is available on our website at https://nursinghome411.org/tell-your-story/.
 
One can fill out the form on the website, download it to fill out on a computer or phone, or print out a hard copy to mail in. All personal identifying information is kept confidential unless the individual provides specific permission otherwise.
 
Stories about resident care can have an enormous impact on advocacy for better care and dignity. We would appreciate any help you can provide in getting the word out and passing this along!
 
Other news from LTCCC…

1. Dementia Care & Antipsychotic Drugging.
   
2. We have just published the latest antipsychotic drugging rates for all U.S. nursing homes and citations for inappropriate drugging. Sadly, recent data indicate that drugging rates are no longer going down! https://nursinghome411.org/learning-center/dementia-care-antipsychotic-drugging/  [Please note that some facilities with a low resident population are not included in these data.]
   
3. Safe Staffing.
   
4. We recently published the staffing levels for all U.S. nursing homes in easy-to-use files. Staffing is critical to quality, yet too many nursing homes have insufficient staffing. For the first time, these files include city and county information, to make searching for your nursing home, or those in your community, even easier. https://nursinghome411.org/nursing-home-data-information/staffing/
   
5. Resident & Family Councils.
   
6. We have issued a new Issue Alert on family and resident council rights, https://nursinghome411.org/ltccc-issue-alert-resident-family-councils/ and have launched our new Family & Ombudsman Resource Center, https://nursinghome411.org/families-ombudsmen/.
   
7. Webinars on Quality of Care & Resident-Centered Advocacy.
   
8. Please join us for our next free “lunch-and-learn” program on November 20 at 1pm Eastern. Topic: Making Your Voice Heard in the Nursing Home… and Beyond. https://nursinghome411.org/upcoming-webinars-nursing-home-care-resident-centered-advocacy/
   
9. New Report on Assisted Living: Promising Policies and Practices. https://nursinghome411.org/ltccc-report-assisted-living-promising-policies-and-practices/
   

All of these resources are free to use and share. If you would like to sign up for future updates and alerts, please email info@LTCCC.org.
 
Sincerely yours, Richard
 
Richard J. Mollot, Executive Director
The Long Term Care Community Coalition
One Penn Plaza, Suite 6252
New York, NY 10119
Phone: 212-385-0355
www.nursinghome411.org