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

NCLC’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project helps student loan borrowers understand their student loan rights and obligations and we fight to make the student loan system better for borrowers.

Learn More

Featured

View All for Featured
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

Coalition Letter To Under Secretary Kvaal Regarding School Accountability Rulemaking

August 31, 2023

My School Has Closed–What Do I Do Now?

July 31, 2023

Comments from the Legal Aid Community to the Department of Education re Administrative Capability and Ability to Benefit

June 20, 2023

Legal Aid Comments to Dep’t of Education re: School Participation in Federal Student Aid (Administrative Capability and Ability to Benefit)

June 20, 2023

Comments to the Dept of Education on Accountability Regulations in Higher Education

June 20, 2023

Comments & Letters

View All for Comments & Letters
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

Comments from the Legal Aid Community to the Department of Education re Administrative Capability and Ability to Benefit

June 20, 2023

Reports

View All for Reports
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

View All for Issue Briefs
Gainful Employment: A Civil Rights Perspective

October 1, 2019

How States Can Help Students Harmed by Higher Education Fraud

January 12, 2021

Testimony

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

October 21, 2021

Press Releases & News

View All for Press Releases & News
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

Support NCLC

Please support NCLC's work to advance consumer rights and economic justice with a tax-deductible contribution today!

Donate