(Washington, DC – August 31, 2018) — Yesterday, 80 organizations and advocates working on behalf of student servicemembers and veterans submitted joint comments to the U.S. Department of Education on the proposed negotiated rulemaking to rewrite the borrower defense rule. The organizations include Student Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Veterans for Common Sense, and veterans, higher education, consumer, and civil rights organizations.
The comments express emphatic support of strong borrower defense rules that hold colleges accountable and help make students whole. Borrower defense rules, which protect students and taxpayers from fraud, deception and other misconduct by unscrupulous colleges, both provide relief to students who have been cheated by illegal conduct and deter illegal conduct by colleges.
The comments urge the Department of Education to:
- Create a fair process to provide relief to students who have been harmed.
- Do not force harmed borrowers to default in order to apply for relief.
- Protect borrowers’ right to their day in court.
- Retain students’ ability to get a fresh start when their schools close.
- Retain financial incentives designed to hold colleges accountable and protect taxpayers.
Click here to read the join comments letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos
