Fill Out Borrower Defense Application Online
Application for Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment
Federal Student Aid
Applies for discharge of federal student loans based on school misconduct or misrepresentation related to the loan or the educational services provided.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
- 1
Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
- 2
Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
- 3
Download your PDF. Save the completed form, ready to print or submit.
The Borrower Defense to Repayment Application asks the U.S. Department of Education to discharge federal student loans because the school engaged in misconduct, such as misleading you about job placement, program quality, costs, or the transferability of credits, in connection with your decision to enroll. Both student borrowers and Parent PLUS borrowers can apply.
The application is long and mostly narrative. You can type your answers in the Universal PDF editor, save your progress while you gather records, and download the finished PDF to submit. The Department recommends applying online at StudentAid.gov, but it accepts the paper form by mail.
What kind of conduct can qualify
The form describes categories of school misconduct that borrowers commonly allege, including misrepresentations about employment prospects and job placement rates, likely earnings, whether a program qualifies you for a license or certification, instructor availability and qualifications, credit transferability, program costs, and available financial aid. Certain court judgments against a school and, in some cases, a school's breach of its contract with you can also support a claim.
The legal standard that applies to your claim depends on when your loans were taken out or consolidated, and the governing regulations have been affected by ongoing litigation. StudentAid.gov's borrower defense pages have the current guidance, and the review timeline can be lengthy, sometimes years.
How to fill out the application
Set aside time; the Department estimates a few hours. The key sections are:
- Section 2: your contact information, and student details if you are a Parent PLUS borrower
- Section 3: the school, campus, enrollment dates, program, and your enrollment status
- Section 4: checkboxes for the categories of misconduct that apply, each followed by narrative boxes asking what the school said or concealed, who said it, when and where, and how it was communicated; specific names, dates, and wording make an application stronger
- Supporting documents: emails and other communications with the school, catalogs, advertisements, enrollment agreements, transcripts, and anything else that supports the claim
- Section 8: the certification, which you sign under penalty of perjury
What happens to your loans while you wait
Unless you opt out, the Department places the loans that are the subject of your application into forbearance during the review, or into stopped collection status if they are in default, and it asks FFEL lenders to do the same. Interest generally continues to accrue while the application is pending, and the form explains your options.
If your claim involves loans that are not Direct Loans, the form includes an authorization for the Department to consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan if that is needed to carry out a discharge.
How to submit it
The Department recommends submitting online through the borrower defense section of StudentAid.gov, where you can also manage the application afterward. If you prefer the paper route, mail the completed form and your documentation to the Federal Student Aid address printed in Section 9 of the form.
Keep copies of everything you send. If your contact information changes while the application is pending, update it in your StudentAid.gov account.
Frequently asked questions
In broad terms, that the school or its representatives made untruthful or misleading statements or omissions that mattered to your decision to enroll or stay enrolled, and that the misconduct harmed you. The precise standard depends on when your loans were made or consolidated, so check StudentAid.gov for the rules that apply to your situation.
The form itself warns that adjudication timelines are lengthy and that, depending on application volume, a decision can take years. Your loans can sit in forbearance or stopped collections during that time unless you choose otherwise.
By default, no. The Department places the loans at issue into forbearance, or stopped collection status if they are in default, unless you opt out on the form. Interest generally continues to accrue during the forbearance.
Anything that documents the school's statements and your enrollment: emails, texts, marketing materials, course catalogs, enrollment agreements, transcripts, diplomas, and records of any lawsuit or judgment involving the school. Detailed, dated, first-person accounts in the narrative boxes carry weight too.
Yes. A parent who borrowed a Parent PLUS loan for the student can file, and the form asks for the student's name and details so the claim can be evaluated.
Some or all of the applicable federal loans can be discharged. By signing, you assign to the Department your legal claims against the school for the forgiven loans, and non-Direct loans may be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan if needed to complete the discharge.
Related forms
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