Student Loans

Predatory For-Profit Schools

For decades, the U.S. Department of Education has failed to prevent predatory schools from receiving federal student aid dollars. As a result, these schools charge students exorbitant tuition, but provide little in return. Students struggle to repay their student loan debts and often fall into default. NCLC works to increase school accountability and make sure students harmed by predatory schools can access loan relief.

Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project

January 1, 2007

The National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project is a related website for borrowers, their families, and advocates representing student loan borrowers.

Read More about: Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project
September 3, 2022
August 24, 2022

Featured

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The Department is Automatically Canceling the Loans of Some Borrowers Who Attended Predatory Schools: What Borrowers Need To Know

September 12, 2022

Department of Education Provides Long Overdue Debt Relief to ITT Tech, Kaplan Students

August 16, 2022

Statements on Department of Education Granting Debt Relief to 79,000 Former Students of For-Profit Westwood College 

August 30, 2022

Student Debt Cancellation Will Help Fix Broken Student Loan System, Close Racial Wealth Gap

June 8, 2022

Protect Students & Taxpayers Coalition’s welcome letter to Members of the 118th Congress

February 9, 2023

Legal Aid Coalition Comments to ED on Proposed Rules Regarding Borrower Defense, Arbitration, Interest Capitalization, PSLF, and Discharges for Closed School, False Certification, and Disability

August 12, 2022

NCLC Advocates Praise Proposed Settlement in Sweet v. Cardona

June 23, 2022

NCLC Advocates Applaud the Department of Education’s Decision To Cancel Corinthian College Students’ Federal Student Loan Debts

June 2, 2022

Biden Administration Sued Again Over Languishing Debt Relief Claims Disproportionately Shouldered by Communities of Color

May 19, 2022

Comments & Letters

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ACICS Coalition Comment for Feb 2021 Meeting to U.S. Dept. of Education Regarding Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

October 20, 2020

Coalition Comments to the U.S. Department of Education Regarding Proposed Regulations on Recognition of Accrediting Agencies and Recognition Procedures for State Agencies

July 11, 2019

Comments in Response to NC-SARA Reply Letter

April 26, 2021

Comments Regarding Proposed NC-SARA Manual Modification

September 11, 2020

Group Comments to the U.S. Department of Education Regarding Changes to Reporting on Distance Education

May 20, 2019

Group Comments Urging Dept. of Education to Adopt Stronger Borrower Defense Rule and Opposing Proposed Rule

August 30, 2018

Joint Comments to the CFPB Regarding Student Loan Borrower Concerns Regarding Proposed Debt Collection Rule

September 18, 2019

Testimony: Protecting Students and Taxpayers – Improving the Closed School Discharge Process

October 21, 2021

Group Letter to NC-SARA Regarding Call for Policy Proposals, July 26, 2021

July 26, 2021

Reports

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How States Can Help Students Harmed by Higher Education Fraud

January 12, 2021

Executive Summary: How States Can Help Students Harmed by Higher Education Fraud

January 1, 2021

Appendix A: States with Student Protection Funds (SPFS)

January 1, 2021

Appendix C: Checklist to Evaluate a State Student Protection Fund (SPF)

January 1, 2021

Map: How State Stack Up: Which Jurisdictions Have Student Protection Funds?

January 1, 2021

What States Can Do to Protect Consumers: Student Loans

January 1, 2020

Gainful Employment: A Civil Rights Perspective

October 1, 2019

Issue Briefs

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Gainful Employment: A Civil Rights Perspective

October 1, 2019

How States Can Help Students Harmed by Higher Education Fraud

January 12, 2021

Testimony

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Testimony: Protecting Students and Taxpayers – Improving the Closed School Discharge Process

October 21, 2021

Press Releases

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Statements on Department of Education Granting Debt Relief to 79,000 Former Students of For-Profit Westwood College 

August 30, 2022

Department of Education Provides Long Overdue Debt Relief to ITT Tech, Kaplan Students

August 16, 2022

NCLC Advocates Praise Proposed Settlement in Sweet v. Cardona

June 23, 2022

Student Debt Cancellation Will Help Fix Broken Student Loan System, Close Racial Wealth Gap

June 8, 2022

NCLC Advocates Applaud the Department of Education’s Decision To Cancel Corinthian College Students’ Federal Student Loan Debts

June 2, 2022

Biden Administration Sued Again Over Languishing Debt Relief Claims Disproportionately Shouldered by Communities of Color

May 19, 2022

Advocates Applaud ED Approval of $238M Discharge for Marinello School of Beauty Borrowers

April 28, 2022

Advocates Support Extension of Student Loan Payment Pause and Praise Removal of Loans from Punitive Default System 

April 6, 2022

Statement on U.S. Department of Education’s Approval of $415M in Borrower Defense Claims

February 16, 2022

From the NCLC Digital Library

Student Loan Law

NCLC’s Student Loan Law treatise details all the latest rights of student loan debtors, including loan forgiveness for the schools’ deceptive practices, financial hardship and other loan deferments, claims for proprietary school abuses and deception, and more.

Read Chapter One

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