The name of DeVry University has been mentioned many times in the media related to DeVry University lawsuits. According to the investigations, the university has misled students and trick them into registering by false advertisement. Now that they have been found guilty, the former students can apply for loan forgiveness. How? We are going to find out. The DeVry University lawsuits were settled in 2016, with University admitting to its crimes and agreeing to pay $100 million to the students. The payback will be in the forms of reimbursement and debt relief.
Falsely informing thousands of students had dire consequences for the University. The fraud has cost the students a tremendous amount of money, which they thought that they were investing in their future. Now that everybody knows the truth, to ease their troubles, former DeVry students can get their lost money back.
What happened with DeVry University?
You might be wondering what was wrong with DeVry University in the first place. In the beginning, the DeVry university didn’t seem like they were doing anything wrong. But after the investigations and the announcement of DeVry University lawsuits, people became aware of their wrong-doings.
DeVry University was one of the for-profit universities in the United States, located in Illinois. It was founded in 1931, by Herman A. DeVry. It was operating as a training school in the beginning that was called DeForest Training school. The University also has a parent company, called Cogswell Education.
The DeVry University lawsuits were mainly about a false advertisement, which is an illegal activity in the United States. They were promoting the university online, on the University’s radio and other platforms. They were lying about the numbers of employment rates, average salary expectations, the time to find a job after graduation, etc. After Federal Trade Commission found the false claims, things started to change.
After the settlement of the lawsuits, the University alongside with its parent company has pleaded guilty and now they are paying back to their former students that got tricked into registration. If you are one of the victims of the University’s fraud, this article is highly necessary for you. As mentioned above, we are going to discuss the options of applying to loan forgiveness.
Are you eligible for the refund?
Now that DeVry University has been denied on advertising the employment rates and job placements statistics, students start to ask for their money back, as it got debt settlement. But before, you should learn about whether you are eligible to apply for the refund or not.
You have to meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:
- There has to be at least one completed credit
- The enrolment dates in the university must be between January 1, 2018, and October 1, 2015. And it should be either an undergraduate or an associate degree program
- You shouldn’t have benefitted from a loan forgiveness program before, related to DeVry University lawsuits.
- There has to be at least $5000 paid in cash
If you are meeting the requirements mentioned above, you might have a chance to get your money back. You should also research other student loan forgiveness programs, to see if there are any other options available. The loan forgiveness programs are quite popular in the United States, as the student loan debt is a very prominent problem nowadays. Students have to pay off their debt even years after graduation, and it is a very stressful and frustrating process.
There are two ways to apply for forgiveness
You have two choices if you decided to apply for loan forgiveness:
- A partial refund
- A complete refund
Partial refunds include a $300 paycheck, as an apology to the troubles you had to suffer. This one is perfect for those who want an immediate check. But let’s be honest, $300 is not that much. And if your debts are much more than this, you can choose the second option and apply for a complete refund.
Complete refunds can be done via Borrower’s Defense. Now, beware that this process is a much longer procedure than having a partial refund. Borrower’s Defense is a perfect way to have your money back if you are misled by the University’s ads on the media. It can last up to 1 year, as you will have to wait for the application to get approved. Your request also can be sent to the Department of Education to process. Because of the long duration of the submissions, people try to look for other forgiveness programs too. If you decide on applying for a complete refund, you will need to know some stuff beforehand. If you want your application to get approved, pay attention to the following information, which might be very important for you.
How to apply for a borrower’s defense
The crucial point of Borrower’s Defense is that you have to be precise and straightforward about your situation. If you want them to believe you and to approve your application, all you need to do is to show the signs of criminal actions of the University clearly. Such as false information and advertisement, misleading students, etc.
You can be successful in your submission if you have strong arguments about how you have only borrowed money to get an education, but the university has misled you. There have to be powerful accusations against the university, stating how their activity is against the laws and is a crime. If you have ever given a brochure or received an email about the university and their false promises, you should definitely provide those for your application.
The key to the desired result of the application is clearness. Do not even thinking about providing wrong information, exaggerating the situation or lying about anything. It might result in your application’s immediate removal. You have to be persuasive, because somebody is assessing your file at the Department of Education, and you have to make them believe you.
You can submit your file by Federal Student Aid. Be very careful of any scams; they might want you to pay money. You don’t have to pay anything to submit your application.
How to check my application’s approval
Unfortunately, there is not a useful link to assess your application’s standing. All you can do is to provide the required documents in neat order and wait for the results. It might last a bit but think about the possibility of getting your money back in case your application got approved. We can understand that it is very annoying, but there is nothing to do about it.
While waiting, you can search for other forgiveness programs that you can benefit from. Trump Student Loan Forgiveness program is one of those. You can check the eligibility criteria, and if you meet the requirements, you can apply.
Lastly, DeVry University Lawsuits might upset you if you have suffered from the repercussions. But don’t get hopeless, there is always a way out. You can have your money back either applying for a partial or a complete refund. The student loan problem is the ongoing problem in the United States, but luckily with the help of some programs, you can make the situation a bit better.
