A federal appeals court last month issued a ruling erasing $23 billion in student loan debt for an estimated 450,000 borrowers duped by false promises made by more than 150 for-profit colleges. The case centered on a federal rule known as borrower defense to repayment that protects defrauded student loan borrowers who incurred massive debts on false promises and misrepresentations. Connor shared that one student’s loan debt swelled from $250,000 to roughly $400,000 while she waited for the Education Department to decide on her borrower defense claim. Full settlement relief means that the federal student loan(s) associated with the borrower’s attendance at the school will be discharged. Students who attend for-profit colleges are also less likely to graduate, more likely to default on their student loans and may face poor employment outcomes.