Here is a bit of an update with what we know and donât know at the moment.
The big question that all ITT students have is how to tell if you are included in this latest announcement. The truth is that at the moment there isnât a way to tell. The only thing we can say definitively right now is that anyone who attended ITT who previously got their DTR denied is not included in this announcement (although there is reason to hope & keep fighting!)
As many of you know, the Borrower Defense Hotline is pretty useless. They wonât be able to tell you whether you are included or not.
The Department of Education says they will start notifying people soon. But based on our past experience we know that can take a long time, and a lot of people can fall through the cracks. In March the Department announced 72,000 people were getting 100% discharge and many of them (maybe even as many as half) have not been notified yet three months later. So it could take many months for them to notify you.
So what can you do? It might be worthwhile to call the Federal Student Aid Ombudsmanâs office and ask them if you are included: 1-877-557-2575
I want to be clear about what you can expect when you do this. I donât think the Ombudsmanâs office will be able to give you an answer. The reason to do this is that unlike calling the hotline, this might get the attention of the Department of Education. If you ask to open a case file it will create a papertrail. Donât let them refer you to the Borrower Defense Hotline. Tell them clearly that the hotline does not have any information and that you want to open a case file with the Ombudsmanâs office to make sure you get a clear answer.
Here is more info about the Ombudsmanâs office:
https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/prepare#how-contact