Defrauded student loan borrowers will see some relief, thanks to an Obama-era rule a federal judge ordered immediately implemented Tuesday. The 2016 borrower defense rule outlines a way for student borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness if they were defrauded or misled by their college.

Donald Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, just lost a major court battle over consumer protections for Americans who take out student loans. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss decided against the request from a group representing for-profit colleges to end regulations that help defrauded students receive federal loan forgiveness and forbid colleges from requiring students to go to arbitration to resolve complaints instead of taking matters to court, according to Politico.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of student veterans, despite having robust GI Bill education benefits, contend they were deceived into racking up federal loan debt through abusive practices of certain for-profit colleges. On Tuesday these students, along with thousands of non-veterans, gained an easier path to loan forgiveness from a federal court ruling in Washington, D.C.

Student borrowers prevailed yesterday when a judge refused a request from Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education to block the borrower defense rule, which aims to protect borrowers from predatory colleges and universities.

At least one class of borrowers carrying the ever-growing burden of student debt could possibly find some relief coming by way of a court ruling made earlier this week. The ruling was tied to the fates of institutions like the for-profit ITT Tech, which went bankrupt in 2016 amid allegations of deceptive practices, leaving tens of thousands of students stranded with federal loans. They could get those discharged, but they first needed to know the option was available and then how to apply for it, said attorney Julie Murray.

A federal judge ordered Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Education, led by Betsy DeVos, must implement immediately an Obama-era student loan forgiveness rule. Attorneys general from 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, sued U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education for delaying a borrower protection rule that was scheduled to take effect beginning July 1.

Students defrauded by for-profit colleges scored an important victory on Tuesday, when a court cleared the way for an Obama-era policy that will make it easier for them to get their student loans forgiven.