Statement on California Complaint Process for Out-of-State Online Colleges

Statement of Debbie Cochrane

“Today’s announcement from the California Department of Consumer Affairs is reassuring news for tens of thousands of Californians whose federal financial aid eligibility was jeopardized following the U.S. Department of Education’s notice last week. We commend California leaders for moving swiftly to remedy the situation for affected students and schools.

“The Department is right to begin enforcing its rule as a May court ruling required, and California can and should have addressed this issue sooner. However, the Department’s mismanaged implementation treated students as pawns in its effort to roll back consumer protections. Using this situation as an excuse to roll back states’ ability to step up their efforts – at the same time this Administration steps federal efforts further and further back – is unjustifiable.”

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