News
Education Department’s Student Loan Discharges Represent Only 6% of Unresolved Borrower Defense Claims | Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will cancel $415 million in federal student loans for approximately 16,000 borrowers, including former students of the for-profit colleges ITT Tech, Corinthian Colleges, DeVry University, Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty, and Minnesota School of Business/Globe University. The Department described its findings as “instances in which students were misled into loans at institutions or programs that could not deliver what they’d promised.”
New Report Details Massive Scale of Fraud and Abuse at Notorious For-Profit College ITT Tech | Press Release
The Project on Predatory Student Lending today released a new report detailing the massive scale of fraud and abuse by the defunct for-profit college ITT Tech. The report, “Dreams Destroyed: How ITT Technical Institute Defrauded a Generation of Students” was made public and sent today to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. It presents the largest volume of evidence compiled on ITT, including thousands of ITT’s own internal records. The documents unequivocally show that ITT was not a legitimate educational institution: it systematically and brazenly lied to students in order to profit from their federal financial aid.
Statement On Navient Settlement Cancelling $1.85 Billion in Predatory Student Debt | Press Release
Today, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, joined by a coalition of 38 attorneys general, announced a settlement with private student loan lender Navient. Under the settlement, Navient will provide relief totaling $1.85 billion to resolve allegations of widespread unfair and deceptive student loan servicing practices and abuses in originating predatory student loans.
Statement on Extension of Student Loan Payment Pause
President Biden today announced a 90 day extension of the pause on federal student loan repayment, which will now continue through May 1, 2022, rather than ending on February 1, 2022. The announcement cites ongoing concerns with the pandemic and economic recovery.
Project files brief in support of challenge to repeal of gainful employment rule | Press Release
“By leaving the repeal of this rule in effect, the Department of Education is leaving the door open for scammers to continue misleading students and enrolling them in failing programs.”
Student Borrowers Harmed by Dept. of Education’s Unlawful Partial Relief Scheme Drop Lawsuit After Dept. Abandons Policy | Press Release
Student borrowers in the class action lawsuit Pratt v. Cardona (previously Pratt v. DeVos) today moved to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit, after the U.S. Department of Education agreed in March 2021 to end the previous administration’s unlawful partial relief policy for adjudicating borrower defense applications.
Congress Urged To Stop Propping Up Fraudulent For-Profit Colleges With Federal Pell Grants | Press Release
As part of President Biden’s Build Back Better framework, Democrats in Congress have proposed restricting for-profit colleges from receiving federal funds in the form of Pell Grant awards, a student aid program for those with significant financial need. “Congress should no longer prop this fraudulent industry up with taxpayer funds…that are supposed to help the lowest income students.”
ADVISORY: Hearing Scheduled for Wednesday on Deposition of Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
Student borrowers on Wednesday will argue in a federal appeals court hearing that a subpoena to depose former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the class action lawsuit Sweet v. Cardona (formerly Sweet v. DeVos) must proceed.
Advocates and Borrowers Raise Significant Concerns as ED Declines to Name For-Profit College Borrowers to Rulemaking Committee on Borrower Defense | Press Release
The Project on Predatory Student Lending today raised significant concerns that the U.S. Department of Education has failed to select any former for-profit college borrowers for its negotiated rulemaking committee, including rejecting a nominee with the support of more than 1,200 former for-profit college students – the very people who have been most significantly harmed by the broken borrower defense process.
Student Borrowers and Advocates Declare September as Borrower Defense Action Month | Press Release
The Project on Predatory Student Lending today joined advocates and former for-profit college students to declare September as Borrower Defense Action Month. Former students and advocates are encouraging those who attended a predatory for-profit college and were defrauded to file a Borrower Defense to Repayment, asking the U.S. Department of Education to cancel their fraudulent loans.