Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta commented on the U.S. Department of Education's decision to discharge debt for 261,000 former Ashford University students. The announcement involves $4.5 billion in debt relief.

The California Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Ashford University in 2017, accusing it of misleading students with false promises and incorrect information, which led them to take out federal student loans. In March 2022, the San Diego Superior Court ruled that Ashford had violated laws by providing false or misleading information about career outcomes, costs and financial aid, degree program pace, and transfer credits. This decision was upheld by the California Court of Appeal in 2024 along with $21 million in penalties.

"Ashford University made false promises to students about the value of an Ashford degree and the opportunities it would create and instead left students worse off: with mounting debt and searching for a job. This is unacceptable and illegal. California stopped this fraud when we sued Ashford and held it accountable for its deception," stated Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Bonta further acknowledged the role played by California's legal actions in facilitating today's relief efforts by the U.S. Department of Education. "I am proud that California's work taking this case to trial paved the way for the U.S. Department of Education to provide relief today for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who were deceived by Ashford. I commend the Biden Administration and the Department of Education for making sure that students who were scammed into trusting in Ashford have the opportunity for a brighter future they always deserved."