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NEW YORK (AP) — Student and legal advocacy groups are petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lift the interview requirement for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to receive food aid. The groups argue the interview requirement is burdensome and prevents those who qualify for food aid from receiving it. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesEligible households next receive a notice indicating their certification period, or how long they'll receive SNAP benefits. But interviews are not mandated by the federal statute governing the SNAP program, the organizations petitioning the government note. A 2021 review of enrollment data in California found that 31% of SNAP applicants in Los Angeles County were denied SNAP due to missing their interview, compared to just 6% who were denied for failing to meet eligibility requirements.

Persons: Aviana Kimani, Kimani, it’s, ” Kimani, “, you’re, Allan Rodriguez, Ty Jones Cox, ”, Aaron Ament, Charles Schwab Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, Nutrition Assistance, SNAP, Student Legal Defense Network, Center for Law, Social, California, Aid, Department of Agriculture, West Los Angeles College, Agriculture Department, Center for Budget, Student, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: California, Los Angeles County

☆ A growing number of student-loan borrowers are slowly benefitting from a new process that would get rid of their debt in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education and Justice Departments said their new bankruptcy guidance for student-loan borrowers is a success. They said 632 borrowers have filed for relief in the first 10 months of the new process. But they did not include the exact number of borrowers that have actually gotten that relief. AdvertisementOver the past year, a growing number of student-loan borrowers have tapped into a new process to help them get rid of their debt in court. On Thursday, the Education and Justice Departments announced a "successful first year" of its updated guidance to help borrowers discharge their debt through bankruptcy.

Persons: —, there's, Vanita Gupta, Aaron Ament, Ament, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, General Merrick Garland, Ron DeSantis, we've, DeSantis Organizations: Justice, Service, Education, Justice Department, Student Defense, Education Department, Duke Law, Department, Democratic, Republican, GOP Florida Gov Locations: Massachusetts

☆ A top GOP lawmaker is taking legal action to scrutinize the Education Department's authority to cancel student debt for defrauded borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx issued a subpoena to the Education Department on Tuesday. AdvertisementAdvertisementA top Republican lawmaker is turning to legal action to get answers from the Education Department on student-debt relief. Borrower defense claims are forms a borrower can submit if they believe they were defrauded by the school they attended, and if approved, their loans from that school would be discharged. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This is the first time the Committee has subpoenaed the Education Department, and it is a measure that I do not take lightly. Biden's Education Department has consistently stood by its legal authority to approve borrower defense claims for defrauded borrowers.

Persons: Virginia Foxx, Foxx, —, Secretary Miguel Cardona, Foxx isn't, Secretary Cardona, Cardona, Donald Trump, Aaron Ament Organizations: Education Department, Service, Republican, Secretary, Biden's, Department, Higher, Student Defense Locations: Cardona

☆ A for-profit school that 'deceived' student-loan borrowers and pushed them to take on 'unexpectedly high levels' of debt got hit with a $37 million fine, Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department fined for-profit Grand Canyon University $37 million over accusations of misleading behavior. It said Grand Canyon mispresented the costs of its doctoral programs, leading to high student debt. AdvertisementAdvertisementA major for-profit school just got hit with a fine over accusations of misleading thousands of its students. A senior department official told reporters on a Tuesday press call that this is the largest penalty the Education Department has ever enforced on a school. "Rather than the Department protecting students, we are being forced to protect our students from this targeted and unwarranted government overreach."

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, GCU, Richard Cordray, GCU's, Aaron Ament, they'll Organizations: Education Department, Canyon University, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Grand Canyon University, Federal, Aid, Department, Federal Student Aid, The Education Department, University of Phoenix, Student Defense, of Education

☆ Student-loan borrowers have a new safeguard in place to ensure their debt doesn't pile up once they graduate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Education Department released its final version of the gainful employment rule. AdvertisementAdvertisementPresident Joe Biden's Education Department has released its final rule to keep student debt from spiraling after a borrower graduates. On Wednesday, the Education Department announced its final version of the gainful employment rule. However, advocates and Democratic lawmakers have previously pushed for a strengthened gainful employment rule to protect borrowers. This includes the most effective gainful employment rule in history," Cardona said.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Education James Kvaal, Jason Altmire, Altmire, Aaron Ament, Miguel Cardona, " Cardona Organizations: Education Department, Service, Joe Biden's Education Department, Education, Education Colleges, Universities —, Department, Democratic, Student Defense

☆ Only a couple dozen student-loan borrowers have gotten their debt wiped out in court since Biden announced changes nearly a year ago to make the process easier
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biden announced reforms to the bankruptcy process for student-loan borrowers in November. In November, the Education and Justice Departments announced they were changing the way student-loan borrowers can attempt to discharge their loans through bankruptcy. The bankruptcy process for student-loan borrowers has also been under increased scrutiny recently from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Ron DeSantis also recently said during remarks unveiling his economic plan should he be president that he supports bankruptcy as a path for student-loan borrowers. As is typical with government programs, implementing changes to the bankruptcy process could take some time.

Persons: Biden, It's, Joe Biden, Aaron Ament, it's, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Student Defense, Service, Education, Justice, Education Department, Student, of Education, Public, An Education Department, Department of Education, Department of Justice, Justice Department, Florida Gov Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, Massachusetts

☆ Biden's efforts to make it easier for defrauded student-loan borrowers to get debt relief were blocked by a conservative court
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Fifth Circuit blocked Biden's new rules to ease the debt relief process for defrauded borrowers. The changes to borrower defense are now blocked as the legal process plays out. The rules would create a more streamlined application process for borrowers seeking debt relief, along with expanding the types of misconduct that would qualify a borrower for a loan discharge. "Defrauded borrowers are legally entitled to relief and their institutions should be held accountable," he said. For now, the department's new rules for borrower defense will be blocked as the legal process proceeds.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump —, CCST, Aaron Ament, Jason Altmire, — Organizations: Circuit, Service, Fifth Circuit, Colleges, Schools of Texas, Education Department, The Education Department, Student Defense, Education Colleges, Universities — Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Online College Classes Are Making the Student Debt Crisis Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

She applied and was accepted to the online program in 2020. In exchange for expanding course offerings and recruiting students, OPMs receive a big chunk of the tuition revenue from the online programs, which usually cost the same as in-person schooling. While it's not always the case, many experts and grads told me that OPMs were offering online students a worse education for a sky-high price. A third-party provider to those schools, 2U signs a contract to offer services such as recruiting and technology to boost online enrollment. OPMs have helped fuel the student debt crisis, saddling may students with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt and an uncertain future.

Persons: Iola Favell, Favell, Rossier, Zavareei, USC Rossier, OPMs, it's, grads, Eric Rothschild, John Katzman, Katzman, Clare McCann, McCann, —, Aaron Ament, Barack Obama, That's, STEFANI REYNOLDS, Helen Drinan, Cabrini University —, Drinan, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Tina Smith, Sherrod Brown, Pearson, Rosa DeLauro, Virginia Foxx, Ament Organizations: University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, USC, Student Defense, Zavareei LLP, US, Education Department upended, Education Department, Arnold Ventures, OPM, Office, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street, Canyon University, Grand Canyon, Century Foundation, Getty, Cabrini University, Simmons University, Democratic, GAO, Republican, GOP, Universities, Protection, Consumer Financial, Bureau Locations: California, Georgetown, —, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts

☆ Online College Class Providers Screwing Over Students, Adding to Debt Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

She applied and was accepted to the online program in 2020. In exchange for expanding course offerings and recruiting students, OPMs receive a big chunk of the tuition revenue from the online programs, which usually cost the same as in-person schooling. While it's not always the case, many experts and grads told me that OPMs were offering online students a worse education for a sky-high price. A third-party provider to those schools, 2U signs a contract to offer services such as recruiting and technology to boost online enrollment. But beyond scandals, the everyday business of OPMs is leaving many online students with exorbitant bills, despite how cheap it is to administer the courses.

Persons: Iola Favell, Favell, Rossier, USC Rossier, OPMs, it's, grads, Eric Rothschild, John Katzman, Katzman, Clare McCann, McCann, —, Aaron Ament, Barack Obama, That's, STEFANI REYNOLDS, Helen Drinan, Cabrini University —, Drinan, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Tina Smith, Sherrod Brown, Pearson, Rosa DeLauro, Virginia Foxx, Ament Organizations: University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, USC, Student Defense, US, Education Department upended, Education Department, Arnold Ventures, OPM, Office, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street, Canyon University, Grand Canyon, Century Foundation, Getty, Cabrini University, Simmons University, Democratic, GAO, Republican, GOP, Universities, Protection, Consumer Financial, Bureau Locations: California, Georgetown, —, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts

☆ Biden's Education Department just released its 'strongest-ever' plan to ensure student-loan borrowers don't graduate with unaffordable debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Education Department released its new proposal for a strengthened gainful employment rule. The rule would place safeguards for borrowers to ensure they don't take on more student debt than they can afford. "Ever since the Trump Administration illegally repealed the 2014 Gainful Employment rule, students have been left unprotected from predatory higher ed profiteers," Ament said. The gainful employment rule has drawn criticism from for-profit schools in the past who have argued that they were being targeted by the strengthened regulations. Democratic lawmakers have previously pushed for a strengthened gainful employment rule.

☆ A student-loan borrower just got $78,000 in debt wiped out in court after 3 decades of repayment following Biden's new bankruptcy guidance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Zena Dodson, a borrower with $78,000 in student debt, just got her loans discharged via bankruptcy. The relief follows new Education and Justice Department reforms to the bankruptcy process last year. But Biden's Education and Justice Department guidance last year streamlined the process for student-loan borrowers to receive relief through bankruptcy, which helped get Dodson her relief. "For too long, the federal government was fighting borrowers in bankruptcy court based on overly-stringent guidance," Ament said. "We're hopeful these new policies give more student loan borrowers like Ms. Dodson a chance at a financial fresh start."

☆ Elizabeth Warren wants Biden's Education Department to go beyond broad student-loan forgiveness and crack down on the institutions that cause borrowers' debt loads to spiral
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to the Education Department with recommendations to better protect student-loan borrowers. Biden's Education Department has reformed the borrower defense to repayment, which are claims students can file if they believe they were defrauded by the school they attended. In her letter, Warren urged Cardona to ensure predatory schools cannot receive federal aid. It aimed to prevent students from borrowing federal loans for programs they probably wouldn't be able to pay off. But in 2010, former President Donald Trump repealed the rule, and Biden's Education Department pushed off reinstating it until 2024.

☆ Students of BloomTech, formerly known as Lambda School, filed a class action lawsuit against the coding bootcamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Students of the Bloom Institute of Technology have filed a class action lawsuit against the school. They say the coding bootcamp, formerly known as Lambda School, advertised false job placement rates. While students have previously taken legal action against BloomTech, this is the first class action lawsuit against it. Former BloomTech students said that the school fell short of its promise with under-qualified instructors and an incomplete curriculum, Insider first reported. Leaked documents also showed that BloomTech's job placement rates were much lower than advertised, Insider previously reported.

☆ Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want 'immediate action' to implement a rule that would keep student-loan borrowers' debt from piling up after they graduate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Warren and Sanders joined 6 of their colleagues in calling for a strengthened gainful employment rule. The rule would cut off federal aid to schools that offer programs that leave students with more debt than their degree can pay off. Trump repealed the rule, and Biden has since delayed its timeline to reinstate it. Advocates have also pushed for the reinstatement of the rule, along with other measures to prevent schools from offering degrees that won't pay off post-grad. A department spokesperson told Insider last year that the "administration is committed to preventing a future student debt crisis by holding colleges and universities accountable if they leave students with mountains of debt or without good jobs."

☆ The Education Department 'failed to protect some of the most vulnerable student-loan borrowers' who had their wages stripped from them illegally during the pandemic, Elizabeth Warren says of a new 'al
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new Student Borrower Protection Center report found illegal wage garnishment for student-loan borrowers during the pandemic. Wage garnishment happens when student-loan borrowers falls behind on payments by more than 27o days, considered to be in default. The Education Department has not commented publicly on this report, but is has announced steps to help borrowers in default. But until that change is fully implemented, advocates argue debt collection practices should not resume. "If ED can't guarantee that its debt collection tool can comply with consumer protections, it should never turn this machinery on again."

☆ Biden's administration just made it easier for student-loan borrowers to get rid of their debt in court
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Education and Justice Department released new guidance on bankruptcy for student-loan borrowers. The guidance gives federal borrowers an easier path to relief by making the process more transparent. On Thursday, President Joe Biden's Education and Justice Departments released new guidance on the pathway for student-loan borrowers to get rid of their debt through bankruptcy. While the undue hardship standard still exists, it's an improvement in that the clear guidelines will allow for consistent treatment of loan discharges. It also gives the Justice Department clear standards for recommending relief to the judge without having to go through time-consuming investigations, per the press release.

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