FAFSA Borrower Defense Application Help - Advice for Trade School Claims?

I successfully got my Borrower Defense approved last year for a similar situation with a trade school. Here's what helped me the most: 1. Be extremely specific about the false claims. Don't just say "they promised jobs" - write exactly what was said, by whom, when, and how it was misleading based on actual outcomes. 2. Documentation is CRITICAL. Gather any brochures, emails, recorded calls, screenshots of their website (use Wayback Machine if needed), and enrollment agreements showing their claims. 3. Include testimonies from other students if possible. 4. Research if your school has had legal actions against them - this strengthens your case significantly. 5. Be methodical about organizing your evidence with a clear timeline. The current processing time is unfortunately still very long - mine took about 14 months from submission to approval. But definitely worth it as I got 100% discharge. One last tip: Make a copy of EVERYTHING before you submit. The FSA website can sometimes have issues and you don't want to lose all your work.

i did one for ITT tech and got denied twice lol. don't get ur hopes up they reject most of them

I'm currently in the middle of my borrower defense claim for a culinary school that closed down. The most important advice I can give is to BE SPECIFIC about each misrepresentation. I broke mine down into 5 different categories: 1. Job placement rate misrepresentations 2. Guaranteed employment claims 3. Expected salary misrepresentations 4. Accreditation misrepresentations 5. Transfer credit misrepresentations For each category, I included exact dates, names of admissions officers, what was specifically said, and how it turned out to be false. Also, if they used ANY specific numbers in their claims (like "95% job placement rate" or "average starting salary of $45,000"), DEFINITELY include those because those are factual claims that can be proven false. It's been 11 months since I submitted and still waiting for a decision.

calling the FSA hotline is totally useless btw...they'll just tell you they can't give you any specific information about your application or timeline. i've tried like 20 times and wasted hours on hold

As someone who's helped numerous students with successful borrower defense claims, here's what I recommend focusing on: 1. The specific legal standard is "substantial misrepresentation" - meaning the school made statements that were false, misleading, or deceptive and that a reasonable person would have relied on when deciding to enroll. 2. Common valid claims for trade schools include: - False job placement rates - Misrepresented earnings potential - Lies about credentials/accreditation - Promised career services that didn't exist - Deceptive recruiting practices 3. Your evidence should directly connect the misrepresentation to your decision to enroll. Make this explicit. 4. Be aware the current approval rate is unfortunately low (~18%), but well-documented claims with specific evidence have much better odds. 5. Include any information about regulatory actions against the school - this is extremely helpful. Feel free to follow up with specific questions about your situation and I can provide more targeted advice.

I fild my borrower defense last year and still waiting... good luck with the wait its KILLING ME!!!!

One thing nobody mentioned - make copies of EVERYTHING before you submit. My friend lost all her documentation when her computer crashed and had to start over. I keep copies in 3 places (computer, cloud, and printed). Also, be prepared for a LONG wait. The Dept of Ed is severely backlogged with these applications.