Over the past five years, the number of complaints filed against agencies collecting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education has grown by 45 percent. The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the entire industry, received 142,743 complaints involving debt-collection companies last year, though only some involved student loans. Consumer advocates blame the rise in complaints on weak federal oversight and corporate greed. They complain that the federal government does not do enough to curb abuses generally, and that the Education Department's pay structure encourages collection agencies to demand stiff payments even when the debtor qualifies for a lower amount. The critics support efforts by the government's new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to step up federal supervision of the debt-collection industry. And they want the Education Department to change how it pays collection agencies.