Have you recently graduated from a private for-profit school? Do you feel that you did not receive the education that you paid for? Do you believe that the school has wronged you, that the loans are ridiculously impossible to pay down, and that you can't find a job because of your poor education? Well there are some steps that you can take to fight back and hopefully save some money in the process. Please follow the steps below, and then don't hesitate to ask questions in your social media groups if you have them.
Quick and Dirty Explanation:
1.) Gather Your School Documentation:
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a.) School Transcripts (Unofficial) - Obtained any time from your school (Registrar Department or Student Portal).
b.) School Transcripts (Official) - Obtained after graduation and paying off any debt to school (Registrar Department). c.) School Diploma - Obtained from your school after graduation (Registrar Department). d.) Billing Ledger - Obtained any time from your school (Accounting Department). e.) School Documentation - Obtained before, during, and after you attended school, or online. |
Some school contact information can be found on this website, or online. If you're having trouble getting your documentation from your school and you attended the Art Institutes, please go here.
2.) Know Your Student Loans:
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a.) Who your lender(s) is/are
b.) What type of student loans you have c.) When your student loan(s) were disbursed, and to which school(s) d.) What the original amount of each student loan was e.) What the current amount of each student loan is f.) What each student loan's interest rate is g.) When the payoff/end date is h.) Which loans you added a cosigner to i.) What the consequences are if you don't pay |
All of this information can be found in the documents you signed to take out the student loans before/during your time in school, by calling your lender(s), or on your lender's website. Some lender contact information can be found on this website, on the National Student Loan Data System website (Federal loans only), or online.
3.) Fill Out Your Defense To Repayment (DtR):
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a.) Gather your school documentation (Step 1 above).
b.) Gather your student loan information (Step 2 above). c.) Write a personal experience essay. d.) Fill out your Defense To Repayment using all of this information. e.) Send an additional copy of your DtR to the Department of Education via email or snail mail. f.) Send a copy to your state's Attorney General. |
4.) Additional Steps:
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a.) Fill out a "Loan Discharge Form", if applicable to your situation.
b.) Post on Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) c.) Create a video about your experience (YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, etc.) d.) Review your school(s) (Yelp, Facebook, CFPB, etc.) e.) Review your lender(s) (Yelp, Facebook, CFPB, etc.) f.) Comment on media articles (Around the web) g.) Help others (In person and around the web) |
More In-Depth Explanation:
1.) Gather Your Documentation From Your School(s)
In order to properly defend yourself, you need to know and have all of your documentation that relates to your attendance at a particular school or schools. This includes the following:
a.) School Transcripts (Unofficial) - You can obtain your unofficial transcripts from your school's registrar. You will have to call them, visit them in person at your school, or even obtain the transcripts from your online account through the school's student website.
b.) School Transcripts (Official) - These should be given to you from your school after you graduate. If you don't have them yet, then there might be a few reasons as to why:
a.) School Transcripts (Unofficial) - You can obtain your unofficial transcripts from your school's registrar. You will have to call them, visit them in person at your school, or even obtain the transcripts from your online account through the school's student website.
b.) School Transcripts (Official) - These should be given to you from your school after you graduate. If you don't have them yet, then there might be a few reasons as to why:
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- You haven't graduated yet.
- You owe the school money directly, and as a result, they're holding your official transcripts and diploma. - You lost them. |
If you've graduated and you just don't have your official transcripts anymore, you can request a new copy from your school's registrar.
c.) Diploma - You should obtain this after you graduate from your school, that is, if they don't hold it because they say you owe them money. Having this along with your official transcripts is proof that you attended the school in question.
d.) Billing Ledger - This is a list of charges, payments, and overall balance for your account while attending a particular school. This information is critical in helping you determine if you've been overcharged for anything while in school. It also helps you compare your charges to the loans you have with your lender(s). You can obtain this from your school's accounting department.
e.) School Information Documentation - This is your core "proof" of potential lies that your school told you. Some types of documentation include false graduation rates, fabricated job placement rates, and inflated salary wages after graduation. It can also include proof of improper teaching techniques, such as being told to watch YouTube videos to "learn" while in class, not being taught industry-required skills, and being told by potential employers that they don't hire students who attended your school, among other things. Finally, being mislead about student loans paying for your entire time at your school, being lied to about the amount of time it would take to complete your degree, and not being informed before attending your school that you'd be unable to transfer your credits can all help your case. Any information that you feel hurt your experience at your school and may have also hindered your job opportunities going forward can apply.
(Note that if you no longer have the documentation you were given while attending your school, you may find some of this documentation on this website, or on social media sites around the web.)
c.) Diploma - You should obtain this after you graduate from your school, that is, if they don't hold it because they say you owe them money. Having this along with your official transcripts is proof that you attended the school in question.
d.) Billing Ledger - This is a list of charges, payments, and overall balance for your account while attending a particular school. This information is critical in helping you determine if you've been overcharged for anything while in school. It also helps you compare your charges to the loans you have with your lender(s). You can obtain this from your school's accounting department.
e.) School Information Documentation - This is your core "proof" of potential lies that your school told you. Some types of documentation include false graduation rates, fabricated job placement rates, and inflated salary wages after graduation. It can also include proof of improper teaching techniques, such as being told to watch YouTube videos to "learn" while in class, not being taught industry-required skills, and being told by potential employers that they don't hire students who attended your school, among other things. Finally, being mislead about student loans paying for your entire time at your school, being lied to about the amount of time it would take to complete your degree, and not being informed before attending your school that you'd be unable to transfer your credits can all help your case. Any information that you feel hurt your experience at your school and may have also hindered your job opportunities going forward can apply.
(Note that if you no longer have the documentation you were given while attending your school, you may find some of this documentation on this website, or on social media sites around the web.)
Contact information for some private schools can be found on this website (still a work in progress, since there are a TON of private schools out there), or on your particular school's website.
2.) Know Your Student Loans
Don't ignore your student loans. The more you know about them, the more in control you'll feel, and the easier it will be to talk to your lenders. You should be aware of every student loan you've taken out, which includes the following information:
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- Who your lender(s) is/are
- What type of student loans you have - When your student loan(s) were disbursed, and to which school(s) - What the original amount of each student loan was - What the current amount of each student loan is - What each student loan's interest rate is - When the payoff/end date is - Which loans you added a cosigner to - What the consequences are if you don't pay |
You should be able to obtain all of this information from the following locations:
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- From the documents you signed to take out the student loans before and while attending school.
- By calling your lender and asking questions. - From your lender's website. - By visiting the National Student Loan Data System website (Federal loans only). |
More information on student loans, payment options, and possible forgiveness can be found both on this site and throughout the web.
3.) Fill Out Your Defense To Repayment (DtR)
By law, you are allowed to dispute your FEDERAL loans by filling out a Defense To Repayment if you believe that you were lied to by the school to get you to enroll. It will then be sent to your lender(s) and the Department of Education for them to review with the intent to have your FEDERAL student loans "forgiven". The emphasis is on "FEDERAL" because the Defense To Repayment does not apply to PRIVATE loans at this time.
The process to fill out your Defense To Repayment for your FEDERAL student loans is as follows:
The process to fill out your Defense To Repayment for your FEDERAL student loans is as follows:
a.) Gather Proof - Gather all documentation and "proof" from your school(s) (Step 1 above).
b.) Know Your Student Loans - Gather all information on your student loans (Step 2 above).
c.) Write An Essay - Write down every reason as to why you believe your school lied to you and did not provide you with a proper education. This might be a lengthy process, so take your time and be clear and precise. The more information and "proof" you can provide, the better your chances of having your FEDERAL student loans forgiven.
d.) Fill Out Your Defense To Repayment - Using all of the above information you've gathered/compiled, visit this link to fill out your Defense To Repayment, or mail in copies, NOT the original files, of your documentation to the Department of Education. Contact information for the Department of Education can be found here, and more information on filling out your DtR, as well as what to do after filling it out, can be found here.
e.) Send an additional copy of your DtR to the Department of Education via email or snail mail - Be sure to send an additional copy of your Defense to Repayment to the Department of Education via a separate form of communication, such as email or mailing through the post office. Be sure to mention that you're submitting another copy in addition to one you already submitted, just to make sure they receive your claim. Sometimes things happen and mail/email gets lost, so doing this is a good backup.
b.) Know Your Student Loans - Gather all information on your student loans (Step 2 above).
c.) Write An Essay - Write down every reason as to why you believe your school lied to you and did not provide you with a proper education. This might be a lengthy process, so take your time and be clear and precise. The more information and "proof" you can provide, the better your chances of having your FEDERAL student loans forgiven.
d.) Fill Out Your Defense To Repayment - Using all of the above information you've gathered/compiled, visit this link to fill out your Defense To Repayment, or mail in copies, NOT the original files, of your documentation to the Department of Education. Contact information for the Department of Education can be found here, and more information on filling out your DtR, as well as what to do after filling it out, can be found here.
e.) Send an additional copy of your DtR to the Department of Education via email or snail mail - Be sure to send an additional copy of your Defense to Repayment to the Department of Education via a separate form of communication, such as email or mailing through the post office. Be sure to mention that you're submitting another copy in addition to one you already submitted, just to make sure they receive your claim. Sometimes things happen and mail/email gets lost, so doing this is a good backup.
Contact information for the Department of Education:
Department of Education
PO Box 194407
San Francisco, CA 94119
Email: [email protected]
Borrower Defense Hotline: (855) 279-6207
PO Box 194407
San Francisco, CA 94119
Email: [email protected]
Borrower Defense Hotline: (855) 279-6207
f.) Send a copy to your state's Attorney General - Some state's Attorney Generals are currently investigating private schools and monitoring how they're treating students within their state. A few Attorney General's have already reached out to current and former students of schools that have closed or are in the process of closing, asking for information on their experiences at these schools. In order to bring attention to your school and help with any current or future investigations by your state, it is recommended that you send your story/Defense to Repayment to your state's Attorney General. Be sure to send it to the Attorney General for the state in which you attended the school in, but don't hesitate to contact other state Attorney General's and offer your assistance.
Consider prefacing your documentation with the reason as to why you're sending the Attorney General your Defense to Repayment. Something like "I've submitted a complaint about my school and would like to share it with you...", or "I saw you were involved in a lawsuit against my former school, and I would like to help", etc. would be great. Contact information for your state's Attorney General can be found online by doing a simple search.
Consider prefacing your documentation with the reason as to why you're sending the Attorney General your Defense to Repayment. Something like "I've submitted a complaint about my school and would like to share it with you...", or "I saw you were involved in a lawsuit against my former school, and I would like to help", etc. would be great. Contact information for your state's Attorney General can be found online by doing a simple search.
4.) Now What?
If you've completed the previous three steps, you're probably now wondering "What next?" Is there more that I can do? What about my PRIVATE loans?
At this current time, there isn't much that you can do in relation to the law to fight your PRIVATE student loans. That doesn't mean that nothing is being done though. Be sure to research online, join social media groups, and contact your local, state, and national government entities with questions.
In the meantime, there are still many things that you can do to help fight the student loan crisis in the United States. This includes:
At this current time, there isn't much that you can do in relation to the law to fight your PRIVATE student loans. That doesn't mean that nothing is being done though. Be sure to research online, join social media groups, and contact your local, state, and national government entities with questions.
In the meantime, there are still many things that you can do to help fight the student loan crisis in the United States. This includes:
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a.) Loan Discharge Form - If you feel that you're eligible for loan forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge for reasons such as school closure, total and permanent disability, false certification of ability to benefit, etc., then complete and submit the appropriate form found here.
b.) Social Media - Join social media groups with an interest in fighting student loans. There are many groups on Facebook and Twitter that keep up to date with what is happening with private for-profit schools, the lenders they work with, and student loans. Post about your experiences within these groups, and give suggestions and support to others who are having trouble as well. c.) Create A Video - Create a YouTube video about your school and your experiences with it. This will help warn potential students from attending that school, and give support to others who are going through a similar situation as you. d.) Review Your School(s) - Write up reviews on the school's Yelp page, Facebook page, and any other review website on the web. Many of your school's social media links can be found on this website, or on the web. e.) Review Your Lender(s) - Write up reviews on your student loan lender's Yelp page, Facebook page, and any other review website on the web. A number of your lender's review links/sites can be found on this website, or on the web. f.) Comment On Media Articles - There are multiple student loan, for-profit schools, and lender articles that continually pop up around the web. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who don't know or understand the current situation with private for-profit schools and student loans as a whole. Be sure to comment on those articles and share your thoughts and experiences with others. Make your voice heard and help others realize what is going on with the private for-profit school industry. g.) Help Others - There are many students out there that have no idea what to do about their school and loan situation. Feel free to help them out! Tell your former classmates about the DtR and what they should do to help their cause. Inform current students about your experiences with the school and student loans. Try to obtain and share (legally) statements from former students, teachers, or employees about their thoughts and experiences. Reply to posts on social media sites, and provide documentation from your school(s) so that they too can use that information for their DtR and records. Be sure to hide any personal information if you decide to share your documentation though. |
