Here’s Why 18 States and Washington DC Are Suing Betsy DeVos Over Student Loan Protections
Since taking office as Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos has been at the center of a few controversies. Most recently, it has been over her freezing of Obama-era regulations that limit for-profit schools.
DeVos’ recent announcement that she would be freezing regulations aimed at for-profit colleges prompted student advocacy groups to take action, and now, a group of attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia is suing the entire Department of Education.
Their argument is that since one of the laws has actually been in effect since the mid-’90s, and that the Obama administration simply updated it by streamlining the application process, the department and DeVos are violating a federal law.
These protections would have given students of for-profit schools greater rights in the event of fraud (think Trump University’s lawsuit). The first regulation protects students from having to repay student loans if their for-profit institution defrauds them, and the second holds these schools accountable for claims made that graduates will be hired after attending the school.
Senator Elizabeth Warren said of this change, “Betsy DeVos is bending over backwards to make it easier for fly-by-night schools to cheat students and bury them in mountains of debt,” adding, “Secretary DeVos might not like it, but her job is to serve students — and we will make sure she does.”
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(h/t Refinery29; photo via Bill Clark/Getty)