We are a coalition of student loan borrowers who were harmed by the predatory for-profit college industry. In early 2024, a group of affected borrowers—many of whom were administrators of borrower defense support groups on social media—came together with a shared goal: to compel the Department of Education to acknowledge and act on the substantial evidence they had collectively gathered.
THE INVESTIGATIONS
The first step in our strategy was to organize this evidence into borrower-led white papers. These documents compiled detailed findings in a clear, accessible format—similar to a legal investigation—making it easier for policymakers to understand the full scope of misconduct. This effort was made possible with support from the Debt Collective, which provided tools, guidance, and resources to carry out these investigations.
Schools like the Art Institute and Ashford were still building their cases when the Biden Administration stepped in with a group cancellation. Others—like the University of Phoenix, Colorado Technical Institute, and several other Career Education Corporation/Perdoceo schools—were in the works when Trump took office.
THE ASK
Next came THE ASK. We (Brooks, Argosy, Kaplan) sent formal letters to the Department of Education, urging it to cancel all federal student loans for borrowers who attended the implicated institutions. These letters were backed by major national advocacy organizations, including The Debt Collective, Project on Predatory Student Lending, Student Borrower Protection Center, The Institute for College Access & Success, The Century Foundation Higher Education Policy Team, NAACP, National Association of Student Loan Lawyers , American Psychological Association
Each letter was co-signed by hundreds of borrowers from each school.
the department of education
After repeatedly pushing, the Department of Education finally agreed to meet in May 2024. We traveled to Washington, D.C., joined by other for-profit borrowers, and sat across the table from officials—desperate to be heard. We hand-delivered the first report and 5,000 pages of evidence, and pleaded for justice.
In the months that followed, we met with department members again, though all our requests for meetings with Secretary Cardona and Undersecretary Kavval were denied over and over. Each time we met with the department members, we pushed harder. Eventually, they told us our schools were under investigation—a glimmer of hope after years of silence.
By November, we had tripled the evidence we submitted.
Then the election happened—and panic set in.
After securing a congressional letter led by Senator Durbin, Senator Markey, and Representative Maxine Waters, signed by over 80 supportive legislators, the Department agreed to meet with us one final time.
Principal Deputy Under Secretary Ben Miller, head in his hands, told us, “You deserve this cancellation. We just can’t make it happen in the short time we have left before Trump takes office—we don’t have the resources.”
We were told we had done everything right. If the election outcome had been different, cancellation likely would have come through. But in the end, they simply ran out of runway.
legislators & AG OFFICES
In the early stages, several of us began reaching out to lawmakers and state Attorneys General. Unfortunately, most AG offices ignored our efforts—even when borrowers submitted complaints in large numbers. In many cases, we received nothing more than a generic, rubber-stamped response, while our calls, letters, and emails went unanswered.
When it came to legislators, securing meetings was a challenge in itself. And once we did, we were shocked by how little many of them knew about Borrower Defense—especially the details of the Sweet v. Cardona lawsuit. Many believed that everyone who attended schools listed in the case was having their loans canceled. Much of our meeting time was spent correcting that misconception: only around 200,000 borrowers out of millions were receiving relief. We explained that our advocacy aimed to secure justice for borrowers from schools with clear evidence of misconduct—before the upcoming election window closed.
After sharing our stories and data from impacted constituents, we asked lawmakers if they would be willing to write a letter of support. Most replied that they simply didn’t have the bandwidth.
It wasn’t until after the election and several follow-up meetings that momentum shifted. Senator Ed Markey, Senator Dick Durbin—an established champion in the fight against for-profit abuses—and Representative Maxine Waters, who publicly apologized for being unaware of our continued struggle during our Press Conference at the Capitol, agreed to partner in leading a letter for us. Ultimately, more than 70 supportive lawmakers co-signed the letter on our behalf.
On December 5, Senator Durbin stood on the Senate floor and urged the Biden administration to cancel this debt before leaving office.
While many Republican lawmakers continue pushing to eliminate borrower protections against predatory for-profit debt, others are still fighting alongside us.
Building relationships with your elected officials is essential. Our coalition is here to help. Visit our Take Action page to learn how to contact your lawmakers and make your voice heard.
press conference
Our Press Conference at the Capitol building on December 6th, 2024. Speakers include Senator Ed Markey, Senator Dick Durbin, Representative Maxine Waters, Persis Yu Student Borrower Protection Center policy director and managing counsel, David Halprin, lawyer and investigative journalist of Republic Report, and many borrower/organizers from our coalition.
the White house – sorry, not sorry
Just before the Christmas break, one of our organizers met with top Biden White House officials: Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor, and Robert Gordon, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility.
They pleaded: “The Department knows what’s coming and is still refusing to act. They’re throwing us to the wolves. We’re talking about schools with clear, documented misconduct. All we need is a public memo — anything to stop the Trump-era rollback from wiping out the progress we’ve made.”
The response? “We understand. You deserve this cancellation — it’s obvious you were harmed. But the Department is following its procedures. They’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got. And what they don’t have… is time.”
They were unwilling to help us.
Dear Biden
In a last ditch effort organizers pushed out a letter writing campaign to Biden begging him to do something before it was too late. Not a single person received a reply.
Valerie’s Letter to Biden / Laura’s Letter to Biden / Ashley’s Letter to Biden