We fight for defrauded veterans to get their student loans forgiven by the Education Department and their Pell Grants restored. Our Research Director Walter Ochinko was an official negotiator representing veteran and military students on the 2018 negotiated rulemaking panel on Borrower Defense, just as he was in 2016. (We also pursue defrauded veterans’ legal rights here.)
Testimony
We are proud of our Law Fellow Jennifer Esparza, who spoke forcefully to the Department of Education about her experience working on the front lines of serving defrauded student veterans who have been cheated out of their GI Bill.
Capitol Hill Press Conference
We joined Senators on Capitol Hill in urging common sense borrower defense rules that protect defrauded student veterans, and in criticizing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ unfair rules that penalized defrauded veterans.
Our TV Ad
More than 30 of the nation’s leading military and veteran service organizations put up a TV Ad on Fox News urging President Trump to stand with veterans who were defrauded out of their GI Bill and tricked into signing student loans.
OUR WORK
Statement of Carrie Wofford on the Education Department’s Approval of $415 Million in Borrower Defense Claims
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2022 Contact: Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success: [email protected] (202) 422-6338 Statement by Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford Huge News - Department of Education Decision Today: “Good News [...]
WCJT News (Jacksonville): Despite promises of relief, one Jax veteran still struggles to receive an education
According to Chistopher Madaio, vice president for legal affairs at Veterans Education Success, for-profit colleges often seek out veterans because of their GI money — federal dollars from the Post 9/11 GI Bill that funds [...]
Student Veteran Submission: David Apperson Testimony to the Department of Education
Testimony of David Apperson U.S. Education Department’s Negotiated Regulatory Rulemaking Panel December 2021 Good afternoon. My name is David Apperson, and I’m a former firefighter, law enforcement officer, and U.S. Army veteran from Lindale, Texas. [...]
Student Veteran Submission: Dylan Contrino Testimony to the Department of Education
Testimony of Veteran Dylan Contrino U.S. Education Department’s Negotiated Regulatory Rulemaking Panel December 2021 My name is Dylan Contrino and I’m here to tell you about my experience at Lincoln Technical as a student veteran. [...]
Student Veteran Submission: Dru Macasieb Testimony to the Department of Education
Testimony of Veteran Dru Macasieb U.S. Education Department’s Negotiated Regulatory Rulemaking Panel December 2021 Good afternoon. My name is Dru Macasieb and I’m a veteran from San Diego, CA. I’m here to tell you about [...]
KGTV News (San Diego): San Diego vets set to lose thousands of dollars in GI bill housing benefits
“I spent one entire year in Afghanistan,” student and Army veteran Dru Macasieb told ABC 10News. Macasieb added, “I don't like how veterans are being treated or the stigma of this is 'free money,' because [...]
Student Veteran Submission: Jodie Parks Testimony to the Department of Education
Testimony of Veteran Jodie Parks U.S. Education Department’s Negotiated Regulatory Rulemaking Panel December 2021 Good afternoon, my name is Jodie Parks and I’m a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. I’m here today to respectfully [...]
Student Veteran Submission: Mikeal Swenson Testimony to the Department of Education
Mikeal Swenson, Army Veteran Testimony U.S. Education Department December 6, 2021 Good afternoon. My name is Mikeal Swenson. I served in the U.S. Army for 6 and a half years, and I was deployed twice [...]
2021 Education Department Hearings
Veterans’ Testimony at Negotiated Rulemaking
We encouraged veterans to share their experiences with fraudulent colleges at the Education Department’s public testimony sessions in October, November, and December for its negotiated rulemaking sessions.
- Testimony of student veteran Stephanie Stiefel (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Michelle Poitier (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Tasha Berkhalter (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Nicole Wilson (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Josh Blumm (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Brian Whitehead (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Kendrick Harrison (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of Veterans Education Success Law Fellow Jennifer Esparza (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Kolin Wilkins (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Jarrod Thoma (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Christopher Glock (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Greg Engle (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Joshua Queen (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Mikeal Swenson (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Jodie Parks (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Carolyn Hix (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Jesus Abarca (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Dru Macasieb (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Dylan Contrino (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran David Apperson (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Myrna Figueroa Lopez (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran David Reyasbautista (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Jonelle Daugherty (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Randy Diel (written testimony here)
- Testimony of student veteran Sean Braunstein (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of whistleblower Mary Ann Markey (written testimony here; photo here)
October Hearing
We encouraged individual veterans at the Education Department’s public hearings to testify about appropriately implementing the 90/10 loophole closure.
- Testimony of student veteran Jesse Cruz (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of student veteran Carlette Satterwhite (written testimony here; photo here)
June Hearings
We encouraged individual veterans as well as veterans leaders to testify at the Education Department’s public hearings in 2021 about borrower defense and other key accountability and quality issues in higher education.
- Collection of Statements to the Department of Education on Negotiated Rulemaking Public Hearings (written testimony here)
- Testimony of William Hubbard, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here; photo here)
- Formal Written Submission by Veterans Education Success (written submission here)
- Testimony of Wesley Wilson, Higher Ground Veterans Advocacy (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Robert F. Muth, University of San Diego School of Law (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Tasha Berkhalter (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Jay Hernandez (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Nicole Wilson (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Patricia Chang (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Jarrod Thoma (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Chris Wolfla (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran Antonio Luna (written testimony here; photo here)
- Testimony of Student Veteran William Buchanan (written testimony here; photo here)
2017 Education Department Hearings
We mobilized veterans and military service organizations to speak out at U.S. Education Department public hearings:
October 2017
- We mobilized military and veterans groups to speak out at a public hearing on Regulatory Reform at the Education Department:
- Testimony of Tanya Ang, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Sean Marvin, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Will Hubbard, Student Veterans of America (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Bethany Keirans, Vietnam Veterans of America (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Melissa Bryant, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (written testimony here)
September 2017
- Nomination Letter from 29 Leading Veterans & Military Service Organizations for the Veterans/Military Representatives on the US Education Department’s Borrower Defense & Gainful Employment Rulemaking Panels
- Public Comment from 34 Leading National Veterans & Military Service Organizations Urging Betsy DeVos Not to Rollback Student Protections
- Public Comment from 33 Leading National Veterans Service Organizations and Military Service Organizations
July 2017
- We mobilized military and veterans groups to speak out at public hearings after the Education Department’s announcement to cancel and revise Student Protections:
- Testimony (at 00:31:33) of Sean Marvin, Legal Director, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here)
- Testimony (at 00:00:40) of Walter Ochinko, Veterans Education Success (written testimony here)
- Testimony (at 00:29:00) of Army veteran Ryan Clark (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Navy veteran Kevin Thompson (written testimony here, interview here)
- Testimony (at 00:41:00) of Congressman Mark Takano, Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee (written testimony here)
- Testimony of Will Hubbard, Student Veterans of America (written testimony here)
- Testimony of John Kamin, American Legion (written testimony here)
- Testimony (at 00:58:10) of Bethany Keirans, Vietnam Veterans of America (written testimony here)
- Testimony (at 01:52:00) of Heather Donnithorne, Blue Star Families (written testimony here)
.@GiBillRights' Walter Ochinko argued forcefully on behalf of student Veterans as an official negotiator on the borrower defense #NegReg @usedgov #DefendStudents pic.twitter.com/HShEEir94F
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) November 15, 2017
Today Jarrod Thoma met with staff of @SenBennetCO to talk about the fraudulent behavior he encountered at a for-profit college. 3 years ago Jarrod filed a Borrow Defense application to discharge nearly $50,000 in student loan debt, but @usedgov has yet to respond. pic.twitter.com/DPUz6Sd6yP
— Veterans Education Success (@GIBillRights) September 6, 2018
MORE NEWS & INFO
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 [...]
Student Veteran Submission: Jesus Abarca Testimony to the Department of Education
Testimony of Veteran Jesus Abarca U.S. Education Department’s Negotiated Regulatory Rulemaking Panel December 2021 Good afternoon. My name is Jesus Abarca and I’m here today to tell you about my experience at Lincoln Technical as [...]
News Nation USA: Student Loan Reforms Stand on Horizon in Negotiated Rulemaking
“Every one of the issues on the table is critically important and quite consequential for specific segments of the borrower population,” said Barmak Nassirian, vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, a [...]
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 [...]