--- title: "Credit Counseling and Debt Help for Louisiana Residents" description: "Cambridge Credit Counseling, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, offers Louisiana residents free credit counseling, debt management plans, housing counseling, and more." url: https://www.cambridge-credit.org/debt-help-in-louisiana publisher: "Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp" updated: 2026-09-29 --- # Credit Counseling and Debt Help for Louisiana Residents Cambridge Credit Counseling, a nonprofit agency founded in 1996, offers Louisiana residents free credit counseling, debt management plans, student loan counseling, housing counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, and bankruptcy counseling with debtor education. Cambridge does not offer debt settlement. Call 800-235-1407 to speak with a certified counselor about your options. ## Free Credit Counseling for Louisiana Residents Louisiana residents can talk with a certified counselor at Cambridge Credit Counseling at no charge. Credit counseling sessions are free of charge. Cambridge Credit Counseling is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and is ISO 9001 registered, and its counselors are certified. A counselor can review your budget and debts and explain the options available to Louisiana residents. ## Debt Management Plans for Louisiana Residents For Louisiana residents dealing with unsecured debt such as credit cards, a debt management plan consolidates those debts into one monthly payment administered by the counseling agency. It is not a loan and does not involve borrowing new money. Almost all concessions such as reduced interest rates or waived fees follow preset guidelines set by each creditor, not by Cambridge Credit Counseling. In some cases they can vary based on the level of hardship in the budget, and certain accounts may not be eligible for them. ## Housing Counseling for Louisiana Homeowners Cambridge Credit Counseling is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, and this service is available to Louisiana residents, including first-time homebuyer courses. A mortgage is a long-term secured loan where the home serves as collateral, and monthly payments typically include principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, known as PITI, often along with private mortgage insurance. Homebuyers in Louisiana who put down less than 20 percent are usually required to carry private mortgage insurance, which can often be eliminated once the loan reaches an 80 percent loan-to-value ratio. Louisiana residents who cannot afford a 20 percent down payment can contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency like Cambridge to see if they qualify for programs that help toward homeownership. ## Student Loan Counseling for Louisiana Residents Student loan counseling is available to Louisiana residents who want help understanding their repayment options and how student debt fits into their overall financial picture. ## Reverse Mortgage Counseling for Louisiana Residents Louisiana residents considering a reverse mortgage, also called a HECM, can receive counseling from Cambridge Credit Counseling to help them understand how the product works before making a decision. ## Bankruptcy Counseling and Debtor Education for Louisiana Residents Cambridge Credit Counseling is approved by the Department of Justice to provide pre-filing bankruptcy counseling and post-filing debtor education, and both are available to Louisiana residents. Bankruptcy counseling and debtor education each cost $50.00 per household per session and are available free or at a reduced rate based on ability to pay. The fee is per household, not per person, so a married couple filing together pays once. Households with income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size are presumed eligible for a fee waiver. Households above that line may still qualify for a reduced fee if they can show a temporary financial hardship, such as a recent job loss or drop in income, unexpected medical costs, disability, separation or divorce, the death of a household wage earner, or another documented financial circumstance that significantly impacts the household's ability to pay. Waivers and reductions are assessed on the household's current income, expenses and overall financial condition, and Cambridge Credit Counseling will not refuse services to anyone due to inability to pay. Approval by the U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office of United States Trustees does not endorse or assure the quality of our services. ## What Is Not Offered to Louisiana Residents Debt settlement means negotiating to pay less than the full balance owed. It is a different service from credit counseling and is typically offered by for-profit companies. Cambridge Credit Counseling does not provide debt settlement to Louisiana residents. Louisiana residents seeking help with unsecured debt through Cambridge can instead ask about a debt management plan or a free counseling session. ## Questions and answers ### Is credit counseling free for Louisiana residents? Yes. Credit counseling sessions at Cambridge Credit Counseling are free of charge for Louisiana residents who call to speak with a certified counselor. ### Does Cambridge Credit Counseling offer debt settlement in Louisiana? No. Cambridge Credit Counseling does not offer debt settlement. That service involves paying less than the full balance owed and is typically offered by for-profit companies, not nonprofit credit counseling agencies like Cambridge. ### Can Louisiana residents get help with foreclosure or buying a first home? Yes. Cambridge Credit Counseling is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and offers first-time homebuyer courses to Louisiana residents. Cambridge Credit Counseling provides foreclosure help only to residents of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Missouri and Kansas, so Louisiana homeowners facing foreclosure can find a HUD-approved housing counselor in their area at HUD.gov. ### How much does bankruptcy counseling cost for Louisiana residents? Bankruptcy counseling and debtor education each cost $50.00 per household per session and are available free or at a reduced rate based on ability to pay. The fee is per household, not per person, so a married couple filing together pays once. Households with income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size are presumed eligible for a fee waiver. Households above that line may still qualify for a reduced fee if they can show a temporary financial hardship, such as a recent job loss or drop in income, unexpected medical costs, disability, separation or divorce, the death of a household wage earner, or another documented financial circumstance that significantly impacts the household's ability to pay. Waivers and reductions are assessed on the household's current income, expenses and overall financial condition, and Cambridge Credit Counseling will not refuse services to anyone due to inability to pay. ## Sources - John Henle, Cambridge Credit Counseling, email of 24 September 2026; 28 CFR 58.21(b)(1) and 58.34(b)(1) (checked 2026-09-24) - Mortgage Downpayments| Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-down-payments.html (checked 2026-08-04) - cambridge-credit.org credit counseling page: https://cambridge-credit.org/credit-counseling.html (checked 2026-08-03) - Gary Washington, Director of Bankruptcy Counseling, Cambridge Credit Counseling, by email 2 September 2026. (checked 2026-09-02) - Cambridge Credit Counseling: https://cambridge-credit.org/index.html (checked 2026-08-04) - Mortgage Downpayments| Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-down-payments.html (checked 2026-08-04) - cambridge-credit.org about page: https://cambridge-credit.org/about.html (checked 2026-08-03) - NFCC Member Agencies register: https://www.nfcc.org/nfcc-member-agencies/ (checked 2026-08-28) - cambridge-credit.org housing counseling page: https://cambridge-credit.org/housing-counseling.html (checked 2026-08-03) - cambridge-credit.org bankruptcy page: https://cambridge-credit.org/bankruptcy-counseling.html (checked 2026-08-03) - cambridge-credit.org about page: https://cambridge-credit.org/about.html (checked 2026-08-03) - cambridge-credit.org contact page: https://cambridge-credit.org/contact.html (checked 2026-08-03) - Cambridge Credit Counseling: https://cambridge-credit.org/index.html (checked 2026-08-04) - Mortgage Basics | Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-basics.html (checked 2026-08-04) - Mortgage Downpayments| Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-down-payments.html (checked 2026-08-04) - Mortgage Downpayments| Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-down-payments.html (checked 2026-08-04) - industry definition, NFCC: https://www.nfcc.org/resources/debt-management-plans/ (checked 2026-08-28) - Mortgage Basics | Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-basics.html (checked 2026-08-04) - Federal Trade Commission, How To Get Out of Debt: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-get-out-debt (checked 2026-09-18) - How To Get Out of Debt, Federal Trade Commission: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-get-out-debt (checked 2026-08-28) - CFPB consumer guidance: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-credit-counseling-and-debt-settlement-debt-consolidation-or-credit-repair-en-1449/ (checked 2026-08-28) - Mortgage Basics | Cambridge Credit: https://cambridge-credit.org/mortgage-basics.html (checked 2026-08-04) --- Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency. Credit counseling is free. Talk to a counselor: 800-857-2808 | https://www.cambridge-credit.org/get-help Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Required disclosures and state licenses, the privacy notice and the terms are linked in the footer of every page.