OUR WORK ON DISABLED VETERANS’ RIGHTS TO LOAN FORGIVENESS
We had a significant victory for disabled veterans in August 2019! We had mobilized veterans groups to sign letters, filed FOIA and legal requests, engaged Congressional leaders and state Attorneys General in adding their pressure, and garnered media attention – all to expose the US Education Department’s violation of 100% disabled veterans’ statutory (legal) right to student loan forgiveness. After more than a year of our leadership mobilizing pressure, we succeeded! The Trump Administration backed down and agreed to follow the law!
Our Statement on the Department of Education’s Announcement Regarding Automatic Total and Permanent Disability Discharges
Earlier today, the Department of Education announced a significant policy shift that will automate loan discharges for borrowers with total and permanent disability through a data match with the Social Security Administration. This move will provide [...]
Our Letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs Regarding the Veteran Readiness and Employment Questionnaire
July 14, 2021 Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Ave., NW Washington, DC 20420 Via electronic submission Re: Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Veteran Readiness and Employment Questionnaire, OMB Control No. 2900-0092 Dear [...]
Student Veteran Submission: William Buchanan Testimony to the Department of Education
William Buchanan Testimony U.S. Department of Education June 2021 Good afternoon, I am Dr. William Buchanan (Ph.D.), a service-connected disabled Veteran and first-generation college graduate. I am here today to discuss the total and [...]
Our Comment on the New TPD Computer Matching Agreement between the Education Department and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
May 28, 2021 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid 830 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20202-5320 Attn: Brenda Vigna, Division Chief Dear Ms. Vigna: We are providing comments on the [...]
Our Comment on the Computer Matching Agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs
We are providing comments on the May 6, 2021, Federal Register Notice (ED-2021-FSA-0005) concerning the re-establishment of the flawed computer matching agreement (CMA) between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of [...]
Press Conference with Virginia Governor to announce new law for disabled veterans
We were pleased to join the Virginia Governor at his bill signing ceremony for SB 745, which ensures disabled veterans do not have to pay Virginia state income tax when their student loans are forgiven [...]
#Veterans groups are demanding that @BetsyDeVosED stop putting #disabled veterans in default on student loans and automatically give disabled veterans their lawful right to loan forgiveness.https://t.co/s1wgoyMlxT https://t.co/gltJzQZDhs
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) November 9, 2018
2021 Education Department Hearings
We mobilized individual veterans and veterans leaders to testify at the Education Department’s public hearings in 2021 on many topics, including student loan relief for disabled veterans.
- Testimony of William Hubbard, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here; photo here)
- Formal Written Submission by Veterans Education Success
- Testimony of William Buchanan, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here)
MORE NEWS & INFO ABOUT DISABLED VETERANS’ RIGHTS TO LOAN RELIEF
New York Times: How Millions of Borrowers Got $127 Billion in Student Loans Canceled
Seeking help, Ms. Olsen — a former Marine — contacted Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group. Their representatives helped her file a borrower defense claim in 2021. Read the full column at The New York [...]
GAO: VA Could Better Inform Veterans with Disabilities about Their Education Benefit Options
As of August 2020, approximately 4.7 million veterans had a serviceconnected disability, making up about 26 percent of the total veteran population. As these veterans transition to civilian life, many choose to pursue higher education [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Groups Urge Debt Forgiveness for Disabled Borrowers
A coalition of more than 30 higher education, consumer and veterans' groups on Tuesday called on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discharge the student loans of about 350,000 disabled borrowers. Under the Higher [...]
NBC News: States urge Betsy DeVos to forgive loans of students with disabilities
Student loan representatives from seven states and Washington, D.C., sent a letter Tuesday to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul asking them to erase the federal loans of more than [...]
Education Department’s FOIA Response on Total and Permanent Disability Student Loan Discharge
The Education Department's response to a FOIA request regarding how many student loan discharges it has provided for totally and permanently disabled borrowers.
Inside Higher Ed: Student Loan Relief for Disabled Vets
"Many of those borrowers are not veterans. But some are veterans who became disabled after they left the military, or whose injuries were not considered service related even though they were on active duty, said [...]