Former students of the for-profit Art Institutes receive approval for $6 billion in loan forgiveness

The Biden administration has announced the cancellation of $6 billion in student loans for individuals who attended the Art Institutes, a system of for-profit colleges that closed its last campus in 2023 amidst allegations of fraud. The Education Department cited the chain’s use of deceptive practices to lure students, leading to massive amounts of debt without promising career prospects.

President Joe Biden condemned the institution for falsifying data, misleading students, and cheating borrowers into taking on excessive debt. The Education Department will automatically erase loans for 317,000 people who attended any Art Institute campus between 2004 and 2017. This move is part of the administration’s broader effort to cancel nearly $160 billion in student loans, with $28.7 billion specifically targeted for those who were deceived by their colleges or affected by sudden closures.

Investigations by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Iowa, and Pennsylvania revealed that the Art Institutes misled students about graduate success rates and employment opportunities. The chain inflated job placement figures and fabricated salary data to entice prospective students. One campus even included tennis star Serena Williams’ salary to boost average earnings.

Richard Cordray, chief operating officer of the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, stated, “The Art Institutes preyed on the hopes of students attempting to better their lives through education.” Borrowers affected by this cancellation will receive refunds for payments already made on their loans. The chain, once operated by Education Management Corp., faced legal troubles and ultimately closed its doors in 2018.

The Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to cancel student loans aim to alleviate the financial burden on individuals impacted by deceptive practices in the for-profit education sector.