Congressmember Waters Reintroduces Bill to Give Students Defrauded by For-Profit Colleges their Day in Court

Sentinel News Wire

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and have reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct. The Court Legal Access & Student Support (CLASS) Act prohibits any school receiving Title IV student aid funding from placing restrictions on students’ ability to pursue legal claims, individually or with others, against higher education institutions in court.

The CLASS Act aims to end the strategic use of mandatory arbitration and class action waiver clauses in enrollment agreements by for-profit colleges. Legitimate non-profit colleges and universities do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements, but these clauses are a hallmark of the for-profit college industry. If this bill had been law in the last several years, many students defrauded by Corinthian Colleges and other now-defunct for-profits would have been able to seek redress directly from their school instead of being forced to seek relief from the taxpayers for their student debts.

“The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into some of the most expensive academic programs, all while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality and success of these programs. These schools use mandatory arbitration clauses and other tactics to shield themselves from being held responsible for their wrongdoing,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters. “I am proud to introduce bold legislation that eliminates… (continue reading)