Student Defense works to advance students' rights to higher education. Get updates at https://nitter.cf/t.co/BdCVZceTGa
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The PSLF program was created as a promise from the United States government to its citizens: if you give back to America, America will give back to you.
Today, a federal court upheld that promise. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Department of Education’s proposed rule to restrict eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is unlawful.
The ruling was in response to our lawsuit filed last November with @Public_Citizen on behalf of @Kennedy_HRC, @immcouncil, @Door_NYC, and @LULAC.
We are proud our lawsuit helped protect PSLF and the millions of public servants who rely on it.
More info here: defendstudents.org/all/court…
We just filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump Administration for refusing to grant closed school loan discharges to thousands of eligible students.
@npr talked to our lead plaintiff, former Brooks Institute student Kendrick Gaussoin:
“Everyone was crying. Everyone felt like they’d lost everything,” Kendrick told @NPRCoryTurner, recalling the day he returned to Brooks Institute to find the doors chained shut.
Nearly a decade later, Kendrick is still carrying thousands of dollars in debt for a school that failed him.
Read NPR’s reporting on our lawsuit and Kendrick’s story: npr.org/2026/10/29/nx-s1-600…
Student Defense retweeted
Their school closed. Legally, these students are entitled to student loan forgiveness. But now the Trump administration is refusing to do so.
This is cruel, unnecessary, and illegal. The Trump administration must reverse course and grant these students the relief they are owed.
NEW: An @NPR piece from @NPRCoryTurner tells the story of Kendrick Gaussoin, a former Brooks Institute student who is still carrying over 20k in student loan debt nearly a decade after his school closed. Student Defense is suing the Department of Education for failing to deliver relief to thousands of borrowers, including Kendrick.
“I was completely discouraged,” Kendrick told NPR. “I basically gave up, and I've spent the past nine years really just trying my best to move forward.”
Read more about Kendrick’s story and our lawsuit here: npr.org/2026/10/29/nx-s1-600…
BREAKING: Student Defense is suing the Department of Education for failing to deliver student loan relief to thousands of borrowers whose schools closed.
In January 2025, the Department expanded eligibility for closed school loan discharges for former students of schools owned by multiple for-profit college operators. Yet the discharges have not been provided, leaving eligible borrowers saddled with debt.
Our class action lawsuit is fighting to ensure that students get the relief they were promised.
Read more about the lawsuit here: defendstudents.org/all/trump…
Student Defense Senior Counsel Chris Bryant testified before the Colorado Department of Law Monday on the growing use of AI-enabled algorithms in college financial aid decisions.
As Chris said: “Our concern is that most students do not know schools are using these algorithms, despite the fact that these systems are determining how much they pay for college, and whether they can even afford to enroll.”
Listen to Chris’s full testimony here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
TOMORROW: Student Defense Chief Counsel @dan_zibel will moderate a panel at the @aacu Conference on AI in Higher Education about AI policies and ethics in admissions, recruitment, and enrollment management.
He’ll highlight our SHAPE AI work, and our “Dos and Don’ts of AI in College Recruitment and Enrollment” report: defendstudents.org/all/shape…
Read more about tomorrow’s presentation here: whova.com/embedded/session/o…
BREAKING: DOJ has dropped its appeal of a federal court ruling that found the Trump administration’s attempt to politicize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program unlawful.
Student Defense and @Public_Citizen brought this case on behalf of @Kennedy_HRC, @immcouncil, @Door_NYC, and @LULAC. But this win belongs to the millions of public servants across the country!
Read more in @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/education…
Student Defense retweeted
The Trump administration just withdrew its appeal of the June 30 ruling striking down the unlawful PSLF rule, which would have let the Department of Education strip eligibility of employees at organizations the administration disagrees with.
washingtonpost.com/education…
Student Defense President @AaronSAment recently spoke with @sarahbutro at @hechingerreport about the risks of universities lending their names to outsourced programs without meaningful oversight.
A new investigation focuses on IronCircle, a for-profit company partnering with universities to offer cybersecurity bootcamps. But when the program abruptly shut down in June, students were left with broken promises of job prospects and little recourse.
“When you’re signing up for education offered by an established, reputable university, you’re typically not trying to enroll in a for-profit boot camp dressed up in wrapping paper.” - @AaronSAment
hechingerreport.org/a-univer…
Students can’t fully focus on completing their degree when they’re worried about putting food on the table.
Student Defense is calling on states to meet students where they are: using text message outreach to deliver timely, actionable information about on-demand interviews and other SNAP requirements.
Read more here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
Last week, Student Defense released a new brief urging states to use text messaging to help students and families access SNAP benefits.
“College students should not go hungry or risk losing SNAP benefits because they missed an interview or forgot to submit a document in a complicated, bureaucratic process. States have a responsibility to ensure eligible students and families can access food assistance.” - Laura Bart, Student Defense Legal Fellow
Read more here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
This week, Student Defense released a new brief urging states to use text messaging to help students and families access SNAP benefits.
“College students should not go hungry or risk losing SNAP benefits because they missed an interview or forgot to submit a document in a complicated, bureaucratic process. States have a responsibility to ensure eligible students and families can access food assistance.” - Laura Bart, Student Defense Legal Fellow
Read more here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
Today, Student Defense released a new brief urging states to use text messaging to help students and families access SNAP benefits.
“College students should not go hungry or risk losing SNAP benefits because they missed an interview or forgot to submit a document in a complicated, bureaucratic process. States have a responsibility to ensure eligible students and families can access food assistance.” - Laura Bart, Student Defense Legal Fellow
Read more here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
NEW: Student Defense is calling on all states to use text messaging to expand access to SNAP benefits.
Too often, a missed interview, deadline, or mailed notice can mean eligible people lose out on food assistance.
For college students, the stakes are especially high: nationally, 67% of eligible students don’t receive SNAP benefits.
It’s hard to focus on completing your degree when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from.
Read the full brief: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
At his testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Student Defense President Aaron Ament called for greater oversight of the federal student loan system.
“Congress has the authority and the responsibility to demand answers and accountability. Our organization, Student Defense, stands ready to work with this committee on all these issues.”
Watch his full opening remarks here: youtube.com/watch?v=f_wEYD5W…
AI governance isn’t just a U.S. challenge. It’s a global one. Leaders around the world are debating how to keep up with the rapidly-developing technology. We’re all in this together. That’s underscored by our SHAPE AI work being cited in a column published in the Ecuadorian newspaper @Expresoec.
Beatriz Bencomo mentioned our recent report highlighting the lack of policies governing AI use in college admissions offices in her piece about the shared questions we’re all confronting about AI’s growing role in our lives.
ICYMI, read our report here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…
At Student Defense’s recent event on AI in higher education, @AndyKimNJ emphasized the importance of establishing safeguards as AI continues to evolve:
“Technology and innovation must move forward, but moving forward recklessly without sensible controls is a recipe for chaos. It risks leaving students behind and losing the transparency, accountability, and privacy so valued within the higher education space.”
Watch his speech here: youtube.com/watch?v=bOMXJoWC…
AI is becoming embedded across every facet of the college experience, including in admissions, instruction, and advising. At the same time, students are increasingly using AI to search for colleges and complete applications, assist with assignments, and make decisions about their educational futures.
Given the speed of adoption, a new report from Student Defense highlights the urgent need for proper guardrails that protect students and promote transparency, fairness, and data privacy.
Read the full report here: defendstudents.org/all/new-s…
At his testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Student Defense President @AaronSAment said the Trump Administration “has attempted to turn the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program into a political football and undermined the government’s promises to millions of teachers, firefighters, nurses, service members, first responders, and other public servants.”
More info here: defendstudents.org/all/stude…