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The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (P.L. 105-244) include a significant change to the Bankruptcy Code (Section 523(a)(8) of Title 11, United States Code), which repeals the seven-year exception for educational debts. For your convenience, we have reprinted below the text of Section 523(a)(8), showing the amended language. The bold text has been added and the underlined text has been deleted.

The discharge under section 727, 1141, 1328(a), 1228(b), or 1328(b) of this title does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt for an educational benefit overpayment or loan made, insured or guaranteed by a government unit, or made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit or non profit institution, or for an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship or stipend, unless excepting such debt
(A) such loan, benefit, scholarship, or stipend overpayment first became due more than 7 years (exclusive of any applicable suspension of the repayment period) before the date of the filing of the petition; or
(B) excepting such debut from discharge under this paragraph will impose an undue hardship on the debtor and the debtor's dependents."

This amendment applies only to cases filed under title 11, United States Code, after October 7, 1998, the date of enactment of the Act. As a result, student loans or other educational debts, as described in the excerpt of the statute printed above, are no longer dischargeable.