Durbin To Secretary McMahon: For-Profit Colleges Must Be Held Accountable For Defrauding Students

Durbin To Secretary McMahon: For-Profit Colleges Must Be Held Accountable For Defrauding Students

In today's Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Durbin urged Secretary McMahon to stop delaying the discharge of student loans for those defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today participated in a Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Education (ED). During the hearing, Durbin questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon about how ED is supporting students defrauded by for-profit colleges.

Durbin began by underscoring the harm done by for-profit colleges, reminding Secretary McMahon that while for-profit colleges enroll only eight percent of American college students, those students account for 30 percent of all student loan defaults. Durbin then shared the story of his constituent, Vickie Vences, who attended Westwood College, a now defunct for-profit college.

"For-profit colleges mislead students into believing they can get certain jobs and salaries if they stick with them and graduate. In reality, they charge high tuition rates, provide little if any support to students while in school, and leave students with a worthless degree," Durbin said.

"Let's talk about Vickie Vences, one of my constituents. She wanted to be in law enforcement. She went to Westwood College, one of the worst actors in America. After three years of juggling full-time jobs and going to school full-time, she learned her degree from Westwood was virtually worthless. By then, she had $50,000 in debt to this for-profit school. She dropped out because she could not afford another penny of debt," Durbin said.

While the 79,000 students who attended Westwood were granted student loan discharges through the borrower defense program in 2022, about 12,000 former Westwood students have yet to see their loans discharged. Durbin called on Secretary McMahon to finally deliver the relief that these students are entitled to without delay.

"Instead of throwing these borrowers a lifeline, you have chosen to close the Department. Can you tell me, do you believe that for-profit colleges that misled students about job placement and salaries should be held accountable?" Durbin asked Secretary McMahon. "Should the Department honor its promise to discharge these student loans?"

Secretary McMahon agreed that these schools should be held accountable and that these students should receive the loan discharges they were promised.

"Why wait? It has been a year and a half with this new President," Durbin pressed.

Secretary McMahon replied that she's unaware of when these discharges could be expected, but she repeated her promise that these students would see relief.

Durbin then spoke to the importance of the TRIO program, which assists low-income, first-generation college students navigate, succeed in, and graduate from college. Durbin reiterated the program's success, pointing to TRIO's support for Illinoisan Cornelius Griggs.

"Illinois is a leader in this program [TRIO]. [Last year] Illinois received more than $49 million in TRIO grants to help 37,500 students. Money well-spent, as far as I'm concerned," Durbin said.

"Let me tell you the story about how TRIO helped change the life of one of my constituents. Cornelius Griggs grew up in foster care. He had a rough childhood. [He] Found the TRIO Talent Search program in high school that helped him study for the ACT, develop productive habits, and apply and enroll in college," Durbin said. "He went to Chicago State University, committed to studying hard, and it paid off. In his freshman year, he made [the] Dean's List. At Chicago State, he participated in another TRIO program, McNair, which helps undergrad students pursue a secondary degree. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, Cornelius earned his master's degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology… He used his education to found GMA Construction Group, a $400 million company and the 67th largest general contractor in the Midwest."

"Madam Secretary, that is what America is all about. That's what TRIO is all about. How do you explain your Department's request to eliminate the TRIO program?" Durbin asked.

Secretary McMahon replied that she believes that the TRIO program can be beneficial, but the Department is currently open to rebids for two tranches of TRIO programs to push students toward apprenticeships.

In response, Durbin underscored his support for the TRIO program as well as apprenticeship programs, saying: "American kids deserve both. Please, keep TRIO alive. We need it."

The Trump Administration has made moves to dismantle ED, firing more than 1,300 staff and signing an Executive Order to demolish ED. Further, congressional Republicans' so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act included a provision to delay the implementation of a Biden-era borrower defense rule that allowed for full debt relief, addressed a wider range of school misconduct, and permitted group claims rather than individual applications. As a result, borrowers must meet a higher bar to receive relief by showing they suffered financial harm from their college's misconduct and that the college knowingly made deceptive or false statements.

For 13 years, Durbin has written to high school guidance counselors, teachers, and principals, urging them to warn students of the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges.

Video of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Audio of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Footage of Durbin's question in Committee is available here for TV stations.

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