Borrower Defense
The law is clear: students who were cheated or misled by their colleges are entitled to have their federal student loans cancelled through a process called Borrower Defense to Repayment, commonly called Borrower Defense.
We know that many borrowers don’t know about it or have not trusted the Borrower Defense process. The Borrower Defense process has been difficult to navigate, and we have been the first to hold the Department accountable for failing to follow the law on borrower defense. But, because borrowers have come forward and have fought back, we have made progress. In the past year, the Department has granted more borrower defense applications than ever.
If you attended a school that cheated, lied to, or misled you, don’t wait, apply for Borrower Defense to Repayment.
Sweet v. Cardona
If you applied for borrower defense before November 16, 2022, you may be eligible for certain procedures under our settlement in the Sweet v. Cardona class action case against the Department of Education, including a guarantee that you will receive an answer on your application within 36 months of the settlement’s effective date. For more information, please visit our Sweet settlement FAQs.
Spread the word!
Join us in encouraging those who were cheated by a predatory for-profit college to apply for the debt cancellation they are legally owed under borrower defense. This process is free, and does not require special expertise.
Here’s how you can help.
Post on social media (Tag us on X/Twitter)
Post in community groups with fellow student borrowers
Email friends and former classmates to make sure they’ve filed their borrower defense
Say no to scammers. The borrower defense application is straightforward and free. Anyone who asks you for money to file an application is a scammer.
Student Stories
There are hundreds of thousands of students across the country who have been cheated by the predatory for-profit college industry and are eligible to have their fraudulent loans canceled through borrower defense. Many have applied. Some have received much needed relief. Many more don’t even know this is an option.