About 36,000 federal student loan borrowers who applied for relief through the Borrower Defense to Repayment program received notices this week that their federal student loans will be discharged.
Here’s how to know if you qualify for relief under the Sweet v. McMahon settlement.
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Sweet v. McMahon — how to know if you’re eligible for relief
Under the terms of the settlement, tens of thousands of borrowers whose for-profit colleges were accused of misconduct were due to receive notice from the Department of Education by June 15, 2026, that they were eligible for full relief.
This lawsuit originated as Sweet v. Cardona in 2019 when the Department of Education was under fire for its handling of Borrower Defense to Repayment claims, in which borrowers alleged that their applications were unfairly delayed or denied. The case is now referred to as Sweet v. McMahon following a change in federal leadership.
The original class of borrowers is distinct from “post-class borrowers” — those who submitted Borrower Defense applications between June 23, 2022, and Nov. 15, 2022, after the original class cutoff period.
The latest round of notices applies to certain post-class borrowers who did not attend an Exhibit C school and who did not receive a decision on their Borrower Defense application by the April 15, 2026, deadline. Exhibit C schools are institutions that were identified by the Department of Education as having strong indicators of substantial misconduct.
According to the Project on Predatory Student Lending (PPSL), borrowers who received notices should receive relief within one year.
However, despite issuing these notices, the Department of Education is still challenging parts of the settlement in court.
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What to do if you didn’t get an email
If you didn’t receive an email and think you may be eligible for relief, there are steps you can take to verify whether or not you qualify.
First, double-check your email inbox and any spam/junk folders to make sure your notice wasn’t directed to the wrong place. Your notice will have come directly from the Department of Education.
If you can’t find any notices but still think you may qualify for relief, PPSL recommends that you email info@ppsl.org and include your name, email, borrower defense number, and application date.
What to do if you need help with your student loans right now
Even if you don’t qualify for automatic loan discharge, there are still ways you can work to lighten the financial burden of your student loans.
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Increase your monthly payment: If you can afford to throw a few extra dollars at your loans each month, this can help you save money on interest and cut down your repayment timeline.
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Check for employer assistance programs: Many employers offer student loan repayment assistance to help employees wipe out their student loan balances faster. Contact your human resources department to ask about any student loan-related perks that you could be missing out on.
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Consider refinancing your student loans: This may not always be the best option, particularly for federal borrowers who want to hang on to the protections that come with federal student loans. However, in some cases, refinancing can drastically lower your interest rate and monthly payment, which can free up more of your monthly income and get you to a zero balance in less time. At the very least, crunch the numbers to determine if it makes sense to refinance so that you can make an informed decision about how to best tackle your loans.
Read more: How to pay off student loans quickly: 8 strategies that work