Question:
Dear Steve,
Hi Steve!
I finished school at the International Academy of Design and Technology in 2007. I recently learned the school closed, possibly due to fraud.
Can I apply for the closed school loan discharge? I don’t fall under the 3 main ways to get the loans discharged but since the school was closed for the fraud I was wondering if I would qualify.
Thank you!!
Stevi
Answer:
Dear Stevi,
If you had federal student loans, then maybe. But your request would have had complied with the closed school discharge criteria.
To even begin to determine if you were eligible you would have met the following base criteria:
You were unable to complete your program because your school closed, and if
- you were enrolled when your school closed;
- you were on an approved leave of absence when your school closed; or
- your school closed within 120 days after you withdrew.
To start the process to determine if your federal student loans were eligible for the Closed School Discharge you should contact the servicer of your loans and begin the application process for review and forgiveness.
However, given the fact you stated that you “finished” at the school, it would appear on face value that you did complete your program so you would not be eligible for forgiveness.
The Trump Administration Department of Education appears to be under the impression forgiveness is not available to IADT students. “In 2020, multiple students that attended IADT campuses in the United States received a letter declining their claims that IADT was a fraudulent institution from the Department of Education. This was despite proof provided of aggressive and inflated marketing tactics, lack of opportunities for continuing education and the inability for graduates to obtain careers in the fields they studied. This letter from the Department of Education was in response to applications for the “Borrower Defense to Repayment” program.” – Source
While some of the locations closed in 2007, the school was later absorbed into Sanford-Brown and eventually they closed down in 2015.
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So if they TRICKED you into getting a freaking PRIVATE loan your just FREAKING SCREWED !!
So Stevi asked this question because he/she didn’t fall under the 3 main categories, that you obviously just copied and pasted from the Gov website. I am in the same position. I actually GRADUATED…. so does this forgiveness not apply to me? That is the real question in my book.
As I said in my answer, “However, given the fact you stated that you “finished” at the school, it would appear on face value that you did complete your program so you would not be eligible for forgiveness.”
This answer is wrong. It does not mater wether you finish or not. The law states that what is in question is how the school recruit you into any program. If you were mislead in any way which IADT is guilty of. Such as misrepresentation of income of past graduates and all. All you have to do is state the court case that closed the school down. In my opinion all you have to do is state all the lawsuits that are won cases against the school in you borrower difference that is all the evidence you need.
I believe you are describing the Borrower Defense to Repayment process. That is different than what the reader asked about in 2020. Stevi asked about the closed school loan discharge. In my answer, you can see what the then-Trump Department of Education said about IADT and rejecting Borrower Defense to Repayment applications.
Stevi can always apply again under the Biden administration and hope for a different response.
IADT question asked.
Answered.