Settlement FAQs

a guide to the proposed sweet settlement

by Mozelle Gleason Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What does the Sweet v DeVos settlement mean for You?

For the Sweet v. DeVos proposed settlement, borrowers who attended one of the 150-plus schools listed in the joint agreement who submitted a Borrower Defense application by June 22, 2022, would have their applicable federal student loans cancelled, once the proposed settlement is approved by the court.

What does the Sweet v Cardona settlement mean for student loans?

Nearly all the schools involved are for-profit colleges or vocational programs. The settlement stems from a 2019 class action lawsuit, Sweet v. Cardona, which argued many borrower defense claims for loan cancellation were being ignored by the Department of Education.

How much student loan debt would be erased by proposed settlement?

More than $6 billion in federal student loan debt would be erased by the proposed settlement agreed to by the Department of Education. The class-action lawsuit Sweet v. Cardona spans the Trump and Biden administrations. Plaintiffs say borrower defense claims were "unreasonably delayed" and decisions "unlawfully withheld."

What does the settlement with the Department of Education mean?

If approved by a judge, the settlement would resolve a long-running lawsuit challenging the application of borrower defense laws by the Department of Education (ED). These laws allow past students who believe their former institutions defrauded them to apply for debt forgiveness.

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What is the sweet settlement?

The $6 billion settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit, Sweet v. Cardona, and it bumps up the total amount of borrower defense discharges to more than $14 billion.

How long does it take to hear back from borrowers defense?

If the settlement is approved, 75% of all class members will receive loan discharges or refunds within one year. The remaining 25% of class members will receive an individual borrower defense decision, which could result in loan discharges or refunds.

How do you win a borrower defense claim?

6:381:14:05Responding to Student Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR) ClaimsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight says you know my institution did something to me that wronged me in such a way that i shouldMoreRight says you know my institution did something to me that wronged me in such a way that i should not have to pay back my student loans. And they file a complaint with the us department of education.

How do I get my art institute loan forgiveness?

How Does It Work?Apply For Loan Forgiveness. Call (800) 659-4099 or fill out the form below.Learn Your Options. One of our representatives will look at your loans and determine the best programs for you based on your specific case.Enroll In The Program.

What schools fall under borrowers defense?

Student Loan Forgiveness For Borrowers Covered By New Settlement AgreementAmerican Career Institute.Argosy University.The Art Institute.Charlotte School of Law.Colorado Technical University.DeVry University.ITT Technical Institute.Kaplan College.More items...•

How do I check the status of my borrower defense application?

The borrower may contact ED's borrower defense hotline at 1-855-279-6207 to ask about the status of their application.

What happens if borrowers Defence denied?

What happens if my borrower defense application against the school is denied? You will not receive a discharge of any of your federal student loans and the forbearance or stopped collections period will end for all of your loans.

What is the statute of limitations on borrower defense?

5. What is the time limit for filing a borrower defense claim? There is no statute of limitations on outstanding balances. Borrowers have six years from when they discovered, or reasonably could have discovered misrepresentation to file a claim to recover amounts already paid.

What is the borrower defense rule?

The Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule (BD Rule) offers students relief from federal loans borrowed based on fraudulent, misleading or illegal acts by their schools. Borrower defense is an established legal right for many forms of consumer credit, and it has been a part of the Higher Education Act for many years.

Are all Art Institute loans forgiven?

If you have Federal Student Loans related to one of the Art Institute schools that has now closed down, you may be able to qualify for having your loans forgiven, perhaps even entirely. The Education Department has agreed to expand the period of eligibility under the Closed School Student Loan Discharge Program.

Is the Art Institute part of loan forgiveness?

Under the circumstances, any individual who owes student loans from the Art Institutes becomes automatically eligible to receive art institute loan forgiveness under the borrower's Defense program.

Can private student loans be forgiven?

Federal loans will qualify for forgiveness, but private student loans won't. If you have federal student loans, you have also additional options to have your loans forgiven, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment Plans. These aren't available for private loans either.

Is borrower's defense legitimate?

It's a legitimate way to cancel your federal loans when you've been defrauded by your school, but unfortunately, the defense to repayment program has not worked very smoothly in recent years. As of the start of 2021, as many as 170,000 students had filed borrower defense applications without receiving a response.

What is the borrower defense rule?

The Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule (BD Rule) offers students relief from federal loans borrowed based on fraudulent, misleading or illegal acts by their schools. Borrower defense is an established legal right for many forms of consumer credit, and it has been a part of the Higher Education Act for many years.

What is borrower defense discharge?

The borrower defense to loan repayment forgiveness rule is a federal regulation issued by the U.S. Department of Education that allows federal direct student loan borrowers who were defrauded by a college, university or career school to seek forgiveness of those loans.

Is there a lawsuit against Ashford University?

SAN DIEGO — Ashford University, the former San Diego-based online for-profit university is seeking to overturn a $22.37 million court ruling that found college staff misled students and lead them into a mountain of debt.

When is Sweet vs Devos going to be resolved?

May 29, 2020. This post was originally published on April 10, 2020 and was updated on May 29, 2020. On April 7, 2020 , students and the Department of Education reached an agreement to resolve the Sweet v. DeVos lawsuit. Before the settlement takes effect, the Court must approve it.

When does a settlement go into effect?

After the hearing, if the court grants final approval, the settlement will go into effect.

Who will provide copies of written comments to all lawyers on both sides?

The Clerk will provide copies of the written comments to all of the lawyers on both sides, and the lawyers will have an opportunity to respond to objections before the final hearing.

Do you have to approve a settlement before it goes into effect?

No. The court must grant final approval of the settlement before it can go into effect.

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