Borrower Defense: what it is and how it works
Borrower Defense: what it is and how it works
1 - What Borrower Defense is
Borrower Defense to Repayment is a federal program that can wipe out some or all of a borrower's federal student loans when the school they attended misled them, or otherwise broke certain state laws, in the course of recruiting or retaining them. It applies to Direct Loans, including Direct PLUS and Direct Consolidation Loans. Borrowers with older FFEL or Perkins loans generally need to consolidate into a Direct Loan first before they can qualify.
2 - How the application process works
Applying starts with a claim submitted to the Department of Education, online or by mail, laying out how the school misrepresented itself, its outcomes, or its programs. Strong claims lean on real documentation: enrollment agreements, course catalogs and handbooks, admissions communications, and marketing materials such as web, email, or social ads that promised something the school did not deliver, particularly around job placement, transferable credits, or program rankings. Once submitted, the Department reviews the claim, gives the school a chance to respond, and issues a decision. This process is not fast, so borrowers should expect it to take a while.
3 - The Sweet v. Cardona school list
Some borrowers have an easier starting point than others. The Sweet v. Cardona settlement (now continuing as Sweet v. McMahon) created a specific list of schools, known as Exhibit C, where a pattern of misconduct has already been recognized. Attending one of these schools does not guarantee approval, but it can strengthen and speed up a claim. We have pulled that full list below so you can check it in seconds.
Background on the Borrower Defense program is adapted from Federal Student Aid. Visit their site directly for the full, current program rules.
Is your school on the list?
Showing 143 of 143 schools
Al Collins Graphic Design School
All-State Career School
Allentown Business School
American Career College
American Career Institute
American College for Medical Careers
American Commercial College
American InterContinental University
American National University
American University of the Caribbean
Anamarc College
Anthem College
Anthem Institute
Argosy University
Arizona Summit Law School
Ashford University
Bauder College
Beckfield College
Berkeley College
Blue Cliff College
Branford Hall Career Institute
Briarcliffe College
Brightwood Career Institute
Brightwood College
Brooks College
Brooks Institute
Brown College
Brown Institute
Brown Mackie College
California College San Diego
California Culinary Academy
California School of Culinary Arts
Capella University
Career Point College
Carrington College
Center for Employment Training
Chamberlain University
Charlotte School of Law
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Collins College
Colorado Technical University
Computer Systems Institute
Concorde Career College
Concorde Career Institute
Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
Court Reporting Institute
Court Reporting Institute of St Louis
Daymar College
DeVry College of Technology
DeVry Institute of Technology
DeVry University
Dorsey College
Empire Beauty School
Everglades University
FastTrain
Florida Career College
Florida Coastal School of Law
Florida Technical College
Fortis College
Fortis Institute
Gibbs College
Globe University
Grand Canyon University
Gwinnett College
Hallmark Institute of Photography
Harrington College of Design
Harris School of Business
Illinois Institute of Art (The)
Independence University
Institute for Health Education (The)
International Academy of Design and Technology
ITT Technical Institute
Kaplan Career Institute
Kaplan College
Katharine Gibbs School
Keiser University
Keller Graduate School of Management
Kitchen Academy
La' James College of Hairstyling
La' James International College
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts
Lehigh Valley College
Lincoln College of Technology
Lincoln Technical Institute
Marinello School of Beauty
McCann School of Business & Technology
McIntosh College
Miami International University of Art & Design
Miami-Jacobs Career College
Micropower Career Institute
Miller Motte Business College
Miller-Motte College
Miller-Motte Technical College
Minnesota School of Business
Missouri College
Mount Washington College
National University College
New England College of Business and Finance
New England Institute of Art (The)
NUC University
Orlando Culinary Academy
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
Pittsburgh Career Institute
Purdue University Global
Radians College
Remington College
Robert Fiance Beauty Schools
Robert Fiance Hair Design Institute
Robert Fiance Institute of Florida
Ross University School of Medicine
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
Salter College
Sanford-Brown College
Sanford-Brown Institute
School of Computer Technology
Scottsdale Culinary Institute
South University
Southern California School of Culinary Arts
Southern Technical College
Star Career Academy
Stevens-Henager
Suburban Technical School
Sullivan and Cogliano Training Centers
Texas Culinary Academy
Tucson College
Ultrasound Diagnostic Schools
United Education Institute
University of Phoenix
University of the Rockies
Vatterott College
Virginia College
Walden University
Washington Business School
Western Culinary Institute
Western International University
Western School of Health and Business Careers
Western State University College of Law
Westwood College
Wilfred Academy
Wilfred Academy of Beauty Culture
Wilfred Academy of Hair & Beauty Culture
How LoanSense can help
If your school's name is on the list above, you are already in a strong position to file a Borrower Defense claim. If it is not on the list, that is not the end of the road. We can still help if you have sufficient evidence of misrepresentation, regardless of which school you attended.
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Checklists and explainers that walk you through what evidence to gather.
Want to build your application yourself?
Our comprehensive, AI-powered guide walks you step by step through building a strong Borrower Defense application, from gathering evidence to writing your claim.