We’ve provided free help to more than 5,000 veterans and servicemembers – and many corporate whistleblowers. Sometimes we win through negotiations, such as when we helped veterans at Stanford University get their full housing allowance, and sometimes we win through legal action. We also help law enforcement with information and victim and whistleblower connections. Most of our work is private and confidential, but here you can see our public filings.
Free help with your GI Bill and student rights is available at [email protected].
OUR LEGAL REPORTS AND MEMOS
Summary of Veteran and Servicemember Student Complaints about Perdoceo Education Corporation
I. Introduction This memo analyzes and provides representative examples of over 500 complaints from military-connected students who attended schools owned by the Perdoceo Education Corporation, formerly known as the Career Education Corporation and referred to [...]
Veteran and Servicemember Complaints about Misconduct and Illegal Practices at Dream Center schools
Introduction This memo summarizes and analyzes complaints received by Veterans Education Success from military-connected students who attended Dream Center schools. These schools were formerly owned by Education Management Corporation (EDMC), which closed some schools [...]
Purdue Global/Kaplan – Recent Actions and Concerns
Purdue Global (Kaplan) Recent Actions and Concerns In March 2018, Purdue University finalized the acquisition of Kaplan University, a for-profit institution offering primarily online education. Kaplan University transferred 14 campuses, 30,000 students, and 2,100 faculty [...]
DeVry University – Recent Actions and Concerns
DeVry University Recent Actions and Concerns DeVry University is currently owned by Cogswell Education LLC, after changing ownership several times in the past from DeVry Educational Group to Adtalem Global Education. Cogswell Education is controlled [...]
Colorado Technical University, American InterContinental University, & Trident University – Recent Actions and Concerns
Colorado Technical University, American InterContinental University, & Trident University Recent Actions and Concerns Colorado Technical University (CTU), American InterContinental University (AIU), and Trident University are owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation, publicly traded on the [...]
University of Phoenix – Recent Actions and Concerns
University of Phoenix Recent Actions and Concerns University of Phoenix is a for-profit college owned by Apollo Global Management, previously publicly-traded on the U.S. stock market. The company’s stock suffered after numerous government investigations revealed [...]
OUR LEGAL ADVOCACY LETTERS
Some of our legal advocacy letters can be shared publicly.
Our Letter to American InterContinental University System’s Accreditor
April 12, 2024 Third-Party Comment on American InterContinental University System Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 RE: Third Party Comment on American InterContinental University System Dear Sir or Madam, [...]
Our Letter to Remington College’s Accreditor
January 18, 2024 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Remington College Dear Holly Eichhorst, Remington College’s Dallas, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Nashville, Tennessee, campuses are [...]
Our Letter to Lincoln Technical Institute’s Accreditor (January 2024)
January 18, 2024 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Lincoln Technical Institute Dear Holly Eichhorst, The Lincoln Technical Institute in East Windsor, Connecticut, is on [...]
Our Letter to IntelliTec’s Accreditor
January 18, 2024 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: IntelliTec Dear Holly Eichhorst, IntelliTec in Grand Junction, Colorado, is on the list of schools that [...]
Our Letter to Concorde Career College’s Accreditor
January 18, 2024 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Concorde Career College Dear Holly Eichhorst, The Concorde Career College’s campuses in Aurora, Colorado, and Miramar, [...]
Our Letter to Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Accreditor (January 2024)
January 18, 2024 Holly Eichhorst Manager of Commission Actions and Governance Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges RE: Aviation Institute of Maintenance Dear Holly Eichhorst, The Aviation Institute of Maintenance campus in Manassas, Virginia, [...]
OUR COURT FILINGS
Our court filings to protect veterans, servicemembers, and military families.
Our Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court On the Merits of GI Bill Benefits for Multiple Periods of Service
Veterans Education Success filed an amicus brief supporting that where a veteran has multiple periods of service, the veteran may qualify for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The brief [...]
Our Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding GI Bill Benefits for Multiple Periods of Service
Veterans Education Success filed an amicus brief supporting that where a veteran has multiple periods of service, the veteran may qualify for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The case is Rudisill v. Wilkie before the U.S. Supreme Court.
OUR SUBMISSIONS TO ACCREDITORS
Our legal team provides submissions to college accreditors, documenting our findings about specific colleges, including our research findings, student veteran complaints, and whistleblower concerns.
- Our Letter to American InterContinental University System’s Accreditor | Apr. 2024
- Our Letter to Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Accreditor | Jan. 2024
- Our Letter to Concorde Career College’s Accreditor | Jan. 2024
- Our Letter to IntelliTec’s Accreditor | Jan. 2024
- Our Letter to Lincoln Technical Institute’s Accreditor | Jan. 2024
- Our Letter to Remington College’s Accreditor | Jan. 2024
- Our Letter to Lincoln Technical Institute’s Accreditor | Oct. 2023
- Our Letter to Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Accreditor | Oct. 2023
- Our Third Party Comment to Higher Learning Commission regarding University of Phoenix | Nov. 2018
- Our memo outlining HLC’s standards and the ways UOP has violated those standards
- Yale Law School memo describing hundreds of student veteran complaints received by VES
- Affidavit from Veterans Education Success President Wofford regarding the concerns expressed by, and documents received from, four UOP whistleblowers
- Letter from a UOP whistleblower sharing concerns
- Our Third Party Comment to WASC Senior College and University Commission regarding Ashford University | Dec. 20, 2017
- Our Submission of Additional Information to Ashford’s Accreditor| Feb. 22, 2018
OUR LEGAL BRIEFS
We serve as a solo amicus in a case regarding the rights of whistleblowers under the federal False Claims Act:
- Court recognition of Veterans Education Success’ amicus curiae filing (Oct. 2017) (here)
- Stephens Institute’s Reply Brief (Sept. 2017) (here)
- Motion for permission to file amicus brief (Aug. 9, 2017) (here)
- Amicus brief filed with the 9th Circuit (Aug. 7, 2017) (here)
We won two amicus cases to protect students’ rights to sue loan servicing companies that fail to comply with Public Service Loan Forgiveness – which is important to veterans and servicemembers and to recruiting and retention by the U.S. military, Veterans Affairs Department, and veterans organizations.
- Our brief in Reavis v. PHEAA (Dec. 16, 2019) (here). On July 14 ,2020, the Montana Supreme Court agreed with us! (here)
- Our brief in Lawson-Ross v. Great Lakes Higher Education Corp. (Dec. 10, 2018) (here). On April 10, 2020, the 11th Circuit Court agreed with us! (here)
We helped ITT Tech and Corinthian students, working closely with several hundred individuals to file claims with the Court.
We also supported lawyers at Harvard Law School’s Project on Predatory Student Lending, who represent a class of all 750,000 former ITT Tech students (including veterans) who attended in the last 10 years:
- ITT Class Action Settlement: US Court awards financial recompense to ITT students (Jan. 2018) (here). Students win $168 million in student debt cancellation (June 2019) (here)
- ITT Tech Student Class Complaint (Jan. 2017) (here)
- Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford’s Affidavit (here)
- US Securities & Exchange Commission rejects settlement terms for ITT Tech Executives who defrauded investors (Aug. 2017) (here)
We’ve joined several amici curiae briefs regarding the Gainful Employment rule at the US Department of Education that weeds out poor performing career college programs:
OUR FOIA REQUESTS
We file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to government agencies to help expose important facts to protect veterans, servicemembers, and military families.
VBA Acknowledgement Letter for FOIA regarding independent study rule
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Veterans Benefits Administration Washington, D.C. 20420 In Reply Refer To: FOIA Request 24-08178-F March 28, 2024 Della M Justice Vice President for Legal Affairs Veteran Education Success (VES) [email protected] Dear Della [...]
VA OGC Response (3) to FOIA regarding independent study rule
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel Information and Administrative Law Group 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington DC 20420 www.va.gov/ogc March 22, 2024 In Reply Refer to: 024 FOIA Request: 24-08247-F Veterans Education [...]
Our FOIA Request to VA re: rule change for online programs and independent study (March 2024)
March 21, 2024 Department of Veterans Affairs Freedom of Information Act Services (005R1C) 811 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Dear Sir/Madam, This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I request that [...]
VA FOIA Request Response RE: SAA requests for waivers of 38 USC 3683
VA's Agency Decision to VES' September 14, 2022, request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, submitted to the Veterans Benefits Administration Central Office (VBACO) FOIA Office, for access to records regarding information on whether any current State Approving Agencies employees have requested, received, or been denied a waiver under Sec. 3683, which prohibits SAA employees from receiving wages, salaries, gifts, profits, dividends, or services from a for-profit school.
LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS
Veterans Education Success works with federal and state law enforcement to protect the rights of veterans, service-members, military family members and survivors.
Sixth defendant in scuba fraud investigation admits filing false claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, November 14, 2022 Sixth defendant in scuba fraud investigation admits filing false claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs Dive school official caused more [...]
Justice Department Announces Enforcement Action Involving Over $100 Million in Losses to Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, September 16, 2022 Justice Department Announces Enforcement Action Involving Over $100 Million in Losses to Department of Veterans Affairs The Department of Justice announced [...]
Department of Justice: Universal Helicopters Inc. and Dodge City Community College Agree to Pay $7.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Post-9/11 GI Bill Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, August 15, 2022 Universal Helicopters Inc. and Dodge City Community College Agree to Pay $7.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Post-9/11 GI Bill Funding Universal Helicopters Inc. [...]
CBS News: Lender charged 200% interest to military families for pawn loans, CFPB says
U.S. military families are being socked with annual interest rates sometimes exceeding 200% on pawn loans they've taken out from a Texas company, a violation of a federal law that caps how much lenders can [...]
Military Times: Feds Threaten Big Fines Against For-Profits Schools That Dupe Troops, Veterans
“Up until today, veterans and service members have been seen as a gravy train for some of the worst schools in America, exploiting grandiose marketing schemes and even outright lies to keep investors happy,” said [...]
Minnesota’s Attorney General’s Office: Former MSB/Globe Students to Finally Receive Nearly $24M in Debt Forgiveness, $16M in Restitution for Fraud
"Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that $23.6 million in debt relief has now finally been approved for former students of Minnesota School of Business (MSB) and Globe University (Globe) and that $15.8 million [...]
Massachusetts Attorney General Secures Nearly $300,000 for Students of Online For-profit School
For Immediate Release July 2, 2021 AG HEALEY SECURES NEARLY $300,000 FOR STUDENTS OF ONLINE FOR-PROFIT SCHOOL Settlement Provides Payments for Certain Former Ashford University Students and Resolves Allegations that School Charged Excessive Fees and [...]
Inside Higher Ed: Department of Education Cancels Loans for ITT Tech Students
"Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success -- an advocacy group that provided evidence to the department to aid in its decision -- applauded its decision in a release. “'So many veterans came to [...]
Washington Post: Biden Administration Delivers Debt Relief to Some Former ITT Tech Students
“The Education Department said that evidence, along with findings from advocacy group Veterans Education Success, serves as the basis for the approvals. "'So many veterans came to us about how ITT Tech cheated them,' said [...]