People struggling to pay down student loans and other debt may resort to filing for bankruptcy, which generally offers a fresh start. But they often end up owing even more on their student borrowing at the end of the process.

Under the federal bankruptcy code, consumers almost never can get rid of student loans—unlike credit-card, medical and many other types of debt. The rule is meant to prevent people from filing for bankruptcy soon after they leave college in an attempt to renege on their school loans.

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