SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Dec. 20 that he has issued a statement on news that U.S. Education Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will only provide partial federal student loan relief to students allegedly defrauded by Corinthian Colleges.
“Under federal law, Secretary DeVos is required to provide full – not partial – relief to Corinthian students,” Becerra said in the statement. “The California Department of Justice will continue to hold her accountable through our ongoing lawsuit. Corinthian students had their American Dream stolen by a so-called higher education institution. This Department of Education needs to carry out its legal duty and help them rebuild their lives.”
Becerra took DeVos to court Dec. 14, arguing that student loan borrowers defrauded by their schools are entitled to relief under the federal Higher Education Act. About 50,000 Corinthian students have submitted claims for relief, including 13,000 from California. Corinthian had allegedly targeted low-income, vulnerable students through false advertisements. The case against the now defunct for-profit college began in 2013.
The Harvard Law School Legal Services Center Predatory Lending Clinic and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates have joined Becerra’s lawsuit.