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Borrower Defense to Repayment:
A Do It Yourself Guide

What is Borrower Defense to Repayment?

As explained by Federal Student Aid, an office of US Department of Education: (ED):

Borrower Defense to Repayment is a legal ground for discharging federal Direct Loans. Under the law, you may have a Borrower Defense to Repayment if your school engaged in certain Misconduct which caused you Harm warranting a Full Discharge of your applicable loans. If approved, the U.S. Department of Education will discharge the remaining balance and may refund payments.

Why This Guide Matters

If you feel Tricked by Your School, you were lied to about job placement, tuition, accreditation, or credits transferring, you might be eligible to Wipe Out Your Federal Loans. It’s called Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR), and it can lead to 100% Loan Forgiveness.

But here’s the catch: The application is confusing, and one wrong answer can delay or sink your claim.

We’re here to walk you through the process step by step 😊

And yes, you can absolutely Do This Yourself!

Why Should You Do This?

• Get your loans erased, like wiping a whiteboard clean.

• Get back money you already paid.

• Feel better because the school gets called out for lying.

• Have a fresh start for new school or job plans.

A student erasing a whiteboard with “Debt” written on it, smiling

Who Qualifies? (Eligibility Cheatsheet)

You likely qualify if:

• Your school closed while you were enrolled or shortly after

• You were promised jobs, high salaries, or credit transfers that never happened

• You were falsely certified (they signed you up without your knowledge)

• You were denied a refund you were owed

Timeline:

• Most decisions take 12+ months due to backlogs

• You can still apply even if your school closed years ago

Connect the Dots: Popular School Guides

If you attended any of the schools listed here, you may be eligible for Borrower Defense. Link your experience to one of these deep dive articles:

1. American Intercontinental University Under Fire

2. Sanford-Brown’s Legal Turmoil

3. Lincoln Educational Services Legal Battles

4. University of Phoenix and Corinthian Colleges Lawsuits

5. ITT Technical Institute’s Legal Turmoil

6. DeVry Scandals

7. The Legal Legacy of Westwood College and many more…

Step 2: Get Your Stuff Ready (Don’t Skip This!)

You need proof that your school lied or broke the rules.

Start with these Evidence Examples:

• Brochures promising job placement

• Emails from admissions or recruiters

• Screenshots of fake salaries or inflated success rates

• Class action lawsuit documents

• School accreditation or transfer credit denials

Where to Find Evidence:

• Your records, emails, printed materials or similar

• Search for lawsuits, litigations, investigations against the school

• Download your student aid data and compare it to the tuition costs and loans taken out in your name

• Check online reviews and complaints about the school including BBB, Google, reddit, niche, college board, and similar sources.

• Federal Student Aid Borrower Defense Updates.

If you can’t find anything? Write what happened. Your personal statement matters. If you’re still unsure, check out Our Process to see how we can help.

Step 3: Start Your Application

Download the PDF version of the borrower defense application to see the questions you’ll need to answer.

Here’s an overview of the sections of the Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR) Application:

TIP: If you don’t know something or don’t have it, just write 'N/A' as your answer.

• Instructions: The BDR application starts with instructions. You need to understand these details to know what kind of school misconduct can lead to approval and what must be included in your application.