Our Work

Democracy

Civil Rights Work Litigation

Institutional capacity and accountability are essential elements of a healthy democracy. We harness the Freedom of Information Act and other public records laws to ensure government transparency on issues that impact students and to hold federal agencies accountable for upholding the rule of law. Through policy advocacy, input on regulations, and briefings with agency personnel, we also build government capacity to effectively deliver services to and uphold the rights of students and other communities.

Agency Accountability

Reforming NHSC's Loan Repayment Program

Voter Registration & the Higher Education Act

Institutional Capacity Building

Oversight and FOIA Topics

Use of Enforcement Authority

The Department of Education has the authority to hold colleges and universities accountable when they violate the law and harm students.

Civil Rights Enforcement

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.

Financial Responsibility

The U.S. Department of Education is required to monitor and evaluate the financial stability of schools that receive Title IV funds. The Department should ensure that institutions, not taxpayers, bear the cost of schools' mismanagement or failure.

Unpaid Liabilities

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.

Gainful Employment

The Gainful Employment Regulation was designed to ensure that students in vocational and for-profit programs would be able to earn enough money to repay their loans.

Accreditation Oversight

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.

Bankruptcy

Student Defense has aggressively advocated for student borrowers who find themselves facing Department opposition to their student debt bankruptcy proceedings.

Borrower Defense

The Borrower Defense rule is a federal regulation establishing that student loan borrowers may be eligible for forgiveness of the federal student loans used to attend a school, if that school misled them or engaged in other illegal conduct.

Dream Center

Student Defense represents former Dream Center students harmed by the schools' deceptive practices and sudden closures.

Disability

Under the Higher Education Act, individuals who are totally and permanently disabled ("TPD") are eligible to have their federal student loans forgiven. Many eligible borrowers have not been granted the relief they deserve.

Walden

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).

Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs administers the GI Bill and disburses billions of dollars annually to thousands of colleges and universities.

Other

FOIA requests on topics that do not fit in the categories above.