How Do I Get My Student Loans From IADT Forgiven?

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

READ I Cosigned for Student Loans From International Academy of Design and Technology And I'm Stuck

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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