By Rachel Puryear, B-law-gger

Progress towards the common good, and towards a more free and prosperous society, is usually quite incremental. Even then, that’s after years of struggle, advocacy, and uphill battles. That is true of a great many things, including student loan reform and greater rights for student borrowers. Recently, some borrowers became eligible to eliminate student debt through the new Borrower Defense Program.

Per this new program, borrowers who meet the following specific criteria can apply for federal student loan forgiveness if your school either:

• Has been fraudulent with your tuition, or
• Misled you about your education, or
• (Otherwise) broke your state’s consumer protection laws,

AND

• You make your claim within three (3) years of leaving your school.

Some examples of what would qualify for the above criteria include:

• Job guarantees which were not fulfilled.
• Misrepresentations (including half-truths) about the cost of the program, including hidden costs.
• Exaggerating qualifications of the staff.
• Misrepresentations about the certifications of a program.

As you can see, this helps a narrow sliver of student borrowers in need of relief. But it’s something, and as always, progress tends to be very incremental.

If you think you might qualify for this relief program and want to check, or to get more instructions on how to apply, click here to see if you might meet the criteria.

To apply for the Borrower Defense program, click here to begin a new application.

As always, dear readers, thank you for reading, following, and sharing. Here’s to you and your loved ones thriving and prospering.

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