06.09.22

In second letter to Secretary Cardona on the difficulty, Durbin reiterates that former Westwood Faculty college students deserve identical debt reduction granted to former Corinthian Faculty college students

WASHINGTON – At present, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) despatched a letter to U.S. Secretary of Schooling Miguel Cardona urging him to difficulty widespread federal scholar mortgage debt reduction to the roughly 3,600 Illinois college students who have been defrauded by Westwood Faculty in 2012. Referencing the Division of Schooling’s latest transfer to offer $6 billion in reduction to scholar debtors who attended Corinthian Faculties or Marinello Colleges of Magnificence no matter whether or not college students utilized for borrower protection, Durbin reiterated that Westwood college students deserve the identical mortgage forgiveness. That is Durbin’s second letter to the Division concerning reduction for Westwood college students.

“These have been the primary group discharges since 2017, when former Secretary Betsy DeVos irresponsibly stopped processing borrower protection functions and issued blanket denials to clear the backlog earlier than leaving the Division,” Durbin wrote in reference to the mortgage discharges for Corinthian and Marinello college students. “Whereas I applaud the Division’s actions to undo the hurt brought on by the Trump Administration and streamline entry to debt reduction that lots of of hundreds of debtors are legally entitled to, I consider the Division additionally should present group discharges for debtors who attended Westwood Faculty.”

Durbin’s letter goes on to debate former Illinois Lawyer Normal Lisa Madigan’s efforts to show Westwood Faculty’s predatory practices to lure college students right into a program that left them with an unrecognized diploma and mountains of debt.

“Westwood Faculty engaged in systemic misconduct from 2002 by means of its 2015 closure.  In 2012, former Illinois Lawyer Normal Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit towards Westwood Faculty for its practices in violation of the Illinois Shopper Fraud and Misleading Enterprise Practices Act.  Former Lawyer Normal Madigan discovered that Westwood used misleading advertising and marketing to lure college students into its legal justice applications and misrepresented the prices, accreditation, and employment prospects for college students, which disproportionately harmed college students of coloration,” Durbin wrote.

Whereas providing his appreciation that the loans of 1,600 former Westwood college students have been forgiven as a result of they filed borrower protection claims, Durbin urges the Division to erase debt for all Westwood college students no matter whether or not they filed their very own declare.

“I’m glad that in July 2021, the Division discharged the loans of 1,600 former Illinois Westwood college students who have been enrolled within the legal justice program.  These discharges, nonetheless, have been granted solely to college students who utilized for borrower protection.  Though the Division agreed with the findings of the Illinois Lawyer Normal and concluded that Westwood deceived Illinois college students who have been enrolled in its legal justice program, the Division nonetheless has not accepted a bunch discharge declare for Westwood college students,” Durbin continued.

“It’s evident that Illinois college students have waited far too lengthy for reduction.  Decisive motion by the Division would present an additional dedication to offer focused reduction, much like the reduction supplied to college students of Corinthian Faculties and Marinello Colleges of Magnificence,” Durbin concluded.

Westwood Faculty deceived Illinois college students in regards to the prices and accreditation of its legal justice program and their prospects for employment upon finishing this system.  Westwood led Illinois college students to consider that its legal justice program was extremely revered by employers and a positive ticket to a job in legislation enforcement.  Sadly, after they graduated, college students came upon that Illinois legislation enforcement companies didn’t acknowledge their Westwood training, leaving them with tens of hundreds of {dollars} in scholar debt and no job.

In 2012, then-Illinois Lawyer Normal Lisa Madigan filed go well with towards Westwood Faculty for utilizing misleading advertising and marketing to lure college students into its legal justice applications in violation of the Illinois Shopper Fraud and Misleading Enterprise Practices Act.  The Obama Administration started engaged on Westwood reduction, however didn’t make a last dedication earlier than leaving workplace.  Then the Trump Administration and Betsy DeVos allowed almost 230,000 borrower protection claims to pile up and prevented offering mortgage discharges to deserving college students underneath borrower protection.

In December 2016, Durbin wrote to then-Schooling Secretary John King to induce him to work with Illinois to offer reduction to Westwood college students lined by Lawyer Normal Madigan’s proof.   AG Madigan requested the Division to offer borrower protection discharges of the related loans on this case and supplied the underlying proof in November 2016. Present Illinois Lawyer Normal Kwame Raoul resubmitted Illinois’ declare on June 3, 2019.

Full textual content of the letter is on the market right here and beneath:

June 9, 2022

Expensive Secretary Cardona:

I write to request an replace concerning my earlier letter despatched in April 2021 that urged you to work with Illinois Lawyer Normal Kwame Raoul to offer immediate federal scholar mortgage debt reduction to Illinois college students who have been defrauded by Westwood Faculty.  

The Division of Schooling (Division) not too long ago took steps to offer long-overdue scholar mortgage debt reduction to debtors who have been defrauded by the now-defunct for-profit faculties Corinthian Faculties and Marinello Colleges of Magnificence.  The Division’s group discharges of greater than $6 billion in reduction for 588,000 debtors have been granted to debtors no matter whether or not they utilized for borrower protection. 

These have been the primary group discharges since 2017, when former Secretary Betsy DeVos irresponsibly stopped processing borrower protection functions and issued blanket denials to clear the backlog earlier than leaving the Division.  Whereas I applaud the Division’s actions to undo the hurt brought on by the Trump Administration and streamline entry to debt reduction that lots of of hundreds of debtors are legally entitled to, I consider the Division additionally should present group discharges for debtors who attended Westwood Faculty.

Westwood Faculty engaged in systemic misconduct from 2002 by means of its 2015 closure.  In 2012, former Illinois Lawyer Normal Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit towards Westwood Faculty for its practices in violation of the Illinois Shopper Fraud and Misleading Enterprise Practices Act.  Former Lawyer Normal Madigan discovered that Westwood used misleading advertising and marketing to lure college students into its legal justice applications and misrepresented the prices, accreditation, and employment prospects for college students, which disproportionately harmed college students of coloration. 

Upon commencement from Westwood, college students believed they held a level from a revered establishment, however after they utilized for roles at Illinois legislation enforcement companies, they have been informed that the companies didn’t acknowledge their diploma.  These college students have been left with hundreds of {dollars} in scholar loans and with no job of their subject.  The lawsuit introduced by Lawyer Normal Madigan demonstrated the pervasively fraudulent actions of Westwood Faculty that clearly give rise to a explanation for motion underneath Illinois Regulation.  Due to this fact, Westwood legal justice college students from Illinois qualify for mortgage reduction underneath the borrower protection provision of the Larger Schooling Act.¹

I’m glad that in July 2021, the Division discharged the loans of 1,600 former Illinois Westwood college students who have been enrolled within the legal justice program.  These discharges, nonetheless, have been granted solely to college students who utilized for borrower protection.  Though the Division agreed with the findings of the Illinois Lawyer Normal and concluded that Westwood deceived Illinois college students who have been enrolled in its legal justice program, the Division nonetheless has not accepted a bunch discharge declare for Westwood college students.

            In November 2016, Lawyer Normal Madigan submitted a bunch discharge software to the Division and supplied the underlying proof.  Present Lawyer Normal Kwame Raoul resubmitted Illinois’ declare in June 2019 and despatched a letter urging the Division to offer group discharge for Westwood Faculty college students in Could 2022.  It’s evident that Illinois college students have waited far too lengthy for reduction.  Decisive motion by the Division would present an additional dedication to offer focused reduction, much like the reduction supplied to college students of Corinthian Faculties and Marinello Colleges of Magnificence.

Thanks on your consideration.  I sit up for your immediate response. 

Sincerely,

cc: The Honorable Kwame Raoul, Illinois Lawyer Normal

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