Accountability is essential to a functioning democracy.
We work to ensure federal agencies uphold the rule of law through policy advocacy, input on regulations, and briefings with agency personnel. We regularly use the Freedom of Information Act and other public records laws to ensure government transparency on all issues that impact students.
FOIA updates
Student Defense is invested in shaping the oversight of the use of AI in federal rulemaking. AI has had a tendency in the past to “hallucinate by producing false information,” including fake citations for use in legal briefs, which is why it’s important to understand how it’s being used in the rulemaking process.
When a school closes, some student borrowers become eligible to have their student loans discharged. The Department assesses school liabilities equal to the loan funds discharged and may assess liabilities against schools as an enforcement mechanism.
The status of Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”) as a recognized accreditor is familiar to the Department as it has been the subject of numerous Secretarial orders, FOIA requests, and federal lawsuits.
Student Defense has aggressively advocated for student borrowers who find themselves facing Department opposition to their student debt bankruptcy proceedings.
Student Defense (and co-counsel Relman Colfax PLLC) filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Walden University engaged in fraudulent business practices, costing former students more than $28 million in overpaid tuition (Carroll v. Walden).
Student Defense launched an investigation into the extent to which the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (“FSA”) has ensured that colleges and universities comply with key civil rights laws.
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