* § 713. Application process to receive license to engage in the business of student loan servicing. 1. Upon the filing of an application for a license, if the superintendent shall find that the financial responsibility, experience, character, and general fitness of the applicant and, if applicable, the members, officers, partners, directors and principals of the applicant are such as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant belief that the business will be operated honestly, fairly, and efficiently within the purpose of this article, the superintendent shall thereupon issue a license in duplicate to engage in the business of servicing student loans described in section seven hundred ten of this article in accordance with the provisions of this article. If the superintendent shall not so find, the superintendent shall not issue a license, and the superintendent shall so notify the applicant. The superintendent shall transmit one copy of a license to the applicant and file another in the office of the department of financial services. Upon receipt of such license, a student loan servicer shall be authorized to engage in the business of servicing student loans in accordance with the provisions of this article. Such license shall remain in full force and effect until it is surrendered by the servicer or revoked or suspended as hereinafter provided.

1. 2. The superintendent may refuse to issue a license pursuant to this article if he or she shall find that the applicant, or any person who is a director, officer, partner, agent, employee, member, or substantial stockholder of the applicant:

   1. (a) within the last ten years prior to the date of application, has committed any act involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or has been convicted of, or pleaded nolo contendere to, a crime directly related to the qualifications, functions, or duties related to servicing student loans, provided that any criminal conviction be evaluated consistent with article twenty-three-A of the correction law;
   2. (b) has had a license or registration revoked by the superintendent or any other regulator or jurisdiction;
   3. (c) has been an officer, director, partner, member or substantial stockholder of an entity which has had a license or registration revoked by the superintendent or any other regulator or jurisdiction; or
   4. (d) has been an agent, employee, officer, director, partner or member of an entity which has had a license or registration revoked by the superintendent where such person shall have been found by the superintendent to bear responsibility in connection with the revocation.
2. 3. The term "substantial stockholder", as used in this section, shall be deemed to refer to a person owning or controlling directly or indirectly ten per centum or more of the total outstanding stock of a corporation. * NB Effective October 9, 2019