DeVos Freezes Obama Regs On Scam For-Profit Colleges

The Associated Press reports:

The Trump administration is further delaying Obama-era protections for students defrauded by for-profit colleges, saying it needs more time to write new regulations. Tuesday’s announcement renewed criticism by Democrats and advocacy groups that the administration favors the interests of for-profit universities over students.

The Education Department posted a notice in the Federal Register saying it wants to delay the borrower defense rule until July 1, 2019, while a new rule is being written. The regulation allows students to have their loans forgiven if their schools deceived them about their education and career prospects.

It also transfers some of the financial responsibility for negative outcomes to the universities and prevents schools from making students sign away their right to sue the schools. The rule was supposed to take effect in July, but Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put it on hold while new rules were being crafted. Eighteen Democratic attorneys general have sued DeVos over the delay.

DeVos is sitting on 65,000 fraud claims and has not approved a single one since being confirmed.