News

STATEMENT: Select University of Phoenix Students Secure Borrower Defense Win with ED Discharge 
Press Releases Annamaria Orlandi Press Releases Annamaria Orlandi

STATEMENT: Select University of Phoenix Students Secure Borrower Defense Win with ED Discharge 

In another victory for defrauded former for-profit college students, today the U.S. Department of Education announced that it would approve nearly $37 million in borrower defense to repayment discharges for more than 1,200 students who enrolled at the University of Phoenix between Sept. 21, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2014, and applied for relief.

Read More
New Borrower-Defense Rules Blocked | Inside Higher Ed
Annamaria Orlandi Annamaria Orlandi

New Borrower-Defense Rules Blocked | Inside Higher Ed

Debt relief and consumer protection advocates criticized the appeal court’s decision. “This unexplained order from the Fifth Circuit is a gift to those who wish to operate predatory education schemes with impunity,” said Eileen Connor, president and director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending.

Read More
Court Blocks New Student Loan Forgiveness Rules In Latest Setback For Biden | Forbes
Coverage Annamaria Orlandi Coverage Annamaria Orlandi

Court Blocks New Student Loan Forgiveness Rules In Latest Setback For Biden | Forbes

Advocacy groups for borrowers were critical of the ruling. “This unexplained order from the Fifth Circuit is a gift to those who wish to operate predatory education schemes with impunity. Borrower defense is an essential safeguard that has been in place for decades.” said Eileen Connor, President and Director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending in a statement. “

Read More
Biden's student debt forgiveness for defrauded borrowers blocked in federal court | USA Today
Coverage Annamaria Orlandi Coverage Annamaria Orlandi

Biden's student debt forgiveness for defrauded borrowers blocked in federal court | USA Today

In a settlement for a case that traces back to the Trump presidency known as Sweet v. Cardona, Biden agreed to forgive $6 billion in debt relief for nearly 300,000 borrowers, for example. That relief isn't affected by Monday's injunction. Still, the group behind that push for relief was frustrated by the block of Biden-era rules.

Read More
Defrauded student loan borrowers ask government to return their refunds | The Washington Post
Coverage Annamaria Orlandi Coverage Annamaria Orlandi

Defrauded student loan borrowers ask government to return their refunds | The Washington Post

Now attorneys at the legal outfit Project on Predatory Student Lending are pressing the Education Department to apply the policy change retroactively. The organization, which has represented former for-profit college students in high-profile cases, recently wrote the department after hearing from Ellis and others about their refunds.

Read More
University of Southern California social work students just sued the school | Insider
Coverage Isabella Lanata Coverage Isabella Lanata

University of Southern California social work students just sued the school | Insider

Last week, the Project on Predatory Student Lending filed a lawsuit on behalf of three graduates of USC's online Master of Social Work program, accusing the school of falsely advertising the online program and claiming it had the same offerings as USC's in-person program on campus, charging the same $100,000 tuition for both of the programs.

Read More