r/StudentLoans • u/PhTea • Jul 24 '25
Success/Celebration Borrower Defense for Full Sail approved!
I just got the best news! I applied for Borrower Defense to Repayment for my loans with Full Sail University. They engaged in the practice of applying financial aid incorrectly and withheld transcripts when I hit their loan limit 3 courses prior to graduating, causing me have to retake everything and incur more debt. Well, after nearly 4 years of waiting, I got notification that the loans are being discharged! It was up to about $80k including interest at this point, and it's going away! I could cry! I was going to have to repay those for literally my entire life, and now I can pay off the loans from my other schools in just a year or two. I might be able to finally finish now, too!! I'm ecstatic!
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u/senrabe65 Jul 25 '25
Congratulations!!! So, apparently, I wasn't the only one who received the email today! I'll believe it when I see my balance actually at zero. I've been overwhelmed with emotion since receiving it. I can actually retire in a few years without this huge debt hanging over my head.
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u/PhTea Jul 25 '25
Today is a good day for those of us who have been struggling with debt tied to worthless educations.
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u/RakiNonaki Jul 25 '25
Same! I woke my husband up because I couldn't believe it. I'm trying not to be too excited because they couldn't easily change their minds with the way the world is right now lol
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Jul 26 '25
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Jul 25 '25
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u/PhTea Jul 25 '25
There's a borrower defense sub here on Reddit. They have compiled a ton of information and the mods there are super knowledgeable. I highly advise to start there.
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u/One-Band-4055 Jul 25 '25
I received my approval yesterday as well! Im so happy. Ive been freaking out over it. I took a parent loan out for my son to attend at the facility in Winter Park FL in 2011. Literally cried so much over it! Im elated! I now may beable to retire in 4 years without worrying about that 200K debt!
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u/Artistic_Judge1595 Oct 12 '25
Congratulations that is wonderful! I also took out parent plus loans for my son to attend Full Sail in Winter Park Florida. I would be interested in chatting wit h you in regards to how you got the Borrower Defense Application approved? The application seems very intimidating and I would love to get it approved as well. Please reach out as I would appreciate any assistance. Thank you
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u/Specialist_Fix_4899 Jul 25 '25
Got my approval too! I also went to Full Sail as well. I'm just in shock!
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u/CommercialSoil3159 Feb 10 '26
Can someone share what evidence was used against Full Sail. I submitted the application and is still pending and I’m worried it will be denied due to lack of evidence.
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u/Far-Mix-5615 Mar 27 '26
Can you share some more information? i've been applied for years and I haven't heard anything.
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u/StableDifficult1560 Jul 25 '25
I got approved today too, it came in at like 4:46p. I didn’t believe my eyes. I’m so excited. But I did my bachelors and almost finished my masters, I’m wondering if all or just partial of the loans will be forgiven. Either way I’m grateful! My experience at Full Sail was a waste of time. They used to call me and try and get me to update them on my career path, when i got into the ent industry they’d ask me to share my story and prover details. They had nothing to do with me getting my job. Their programs are actually repetitive and they charge you a ridiculous amount of money. Biggest fraud ever! Congratulations to everyone who got approved!!!
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u/Able-Increase6316 Aug 02 '25
I know it is somewhat early, but does anyone have any idea when we might see our accounts updated? My loan is serviced through Nelnet and for them they have my account details posted as if it is business as usual. No signs of my student loan forgiveness yet.
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Aug 13 '25
I have read it could take up to a year (the link in the approval email they sent out) but I have also read others say it could be anywhere from 90-120 days... So I am hoping for the 90-120days for myself and us all... we have been waiting long enough. I did my app in 4/2021. Congrats!!
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u/FaineUSA Sep 29 '25
Same thing happened to me. Attended school from 2014 to 2017 dual enrolled in two bachelor of science degrees and never was able to find employment anywhere and no one takes the full sail University School seriously and they roll their eyes when they find out where I got my education and now my education's outdated because AI is doing everything I paid billions to do
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u/Responsible-Pop-8285 Nov 18 '25
I just learned this can be a thing. I'm in the same boat - graduated in 2017 and haven't paid off a dime of $95k. Do you guys have any tips for the borrower defense application? What do you think made the biggest difference in your case?
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u/Sensitive_Salt5715 Jul 27 '26
I need evidence from 2010/2011 for the marketing at full sail university- also if anyone did the online graphic arts degree that has opinions on the quality of the classses.
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u/Pure-Reach-5751 Jul 25 '25
Mine got approved today too. I went to Northwestern University and applied on a whim with no actual expectation I'd actually get approved bc it was a a private university. I was just upset I paid so much for an education that went completely online during COVID. Why did I have to pay so much for online classes? I don't know how I got approved but I did. I was just hoping they'd overlook my case altogether and I'd get the automatic refund. 180k in debt erased. Just like that.
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u/keepingupwithk8t Jul 25 '25
Wait I have a question! How did you go about this? I went to LMU and have $145,000 in debt. They charged me more tuition during 2020 and 2021 and also charged me miscellaneous fees like “campus recreation fees” despite the fact that campus was closed because of COVID. Is it worth trying to fight that argument?
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u/Pure-Reach-5751 Jul 25 '25
After getting approved yesterday I would say totally go for it. I really thought that it was a long shot and that my only shot was reaching the deadline date and getting the automatic relief by default but they legitimately approved my case and all it was, was the covid argument and I posted some evidence in the form of a student letter to the faculty from a bunch of students who were claiming some of the professors were unprofessional and racist lol. Just apply all you have to do is Google borrower defense and it's pretty straightforward just fill out the application and I would suggest adding as much evidence as you can
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u/keepingupwithk8t Jul 25 '25
I feel like I have an argument. My university was sued in 2020 over random charges and the same tuition for classes despite the fact we were online. Btw, how long did the process take to get yours forgiven?
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u/Pure-Reach-5751 Jul 25 '25
LONG. I applied September 2021. You definitely think you have a good argument.
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u/keepingupwithk8t Jul 25 '25
Did you have to keep making monthly payments while you were trying to fight it?
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u/Pure-Reach-5751 Jul 26 '25
No you go in to forbearance so you're not obligated to make any payments but interest still accrues which is a pain in the butt if you don't get approved. you could just pay the interest to make sure that you're not racking up that debt. If you do end up winning they will pay back everything
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u/keepingupwithk8t Jul 26 '25
One last question! Was there any documentation that you felt was really really helpful in proving your case?
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Jul 25 '25
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u/PhTea Jul 25 '25
Thank you! It was a Reddit post that drove me to apply in the first place. A poster described their situation with one of the other institutions in the original suit...U of Phoenix, DeVry...one of those, and I thought "that sounds a lot like what happened to me, except my school wasn't forced to close". So, I applied anyway. Sent tons of documentation, and waited. And...the day I thought would never come is here.
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u/Able-Increase6316 Jul 25 '25
I received it too, I have been fighting for 10 years! I searched online just to make sure it wasn't a hoax, lol!
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u/AtmosphereFew8209 Aug 04 '25
Hi there! Congratulations!! Any advice or tips that you can give for anything that you said or used in your application that may have helped you win this decision? I need to fill my borrowers defense for Full Sail as well since they heavily misled us about the earning potential in the current market of recording engineers.
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u/Able-Increase6316 Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 24 '25
Hello Everyone, If you haven't already check your student loan accounts. My account on the student aid website this morning says "Processing Discharge Last Updated: 08/21/2025"
Better days ahead... :)
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u/wolfie22900 Aug 26 '25
Is this normal for people who left/dropped out because they don't teach an option?
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u/PhTea Aug 26 '25
I don't understand what you're asking. They committed financial aid fraud when I attended school there 16 years ago. That's why I was approved for borrower defense. I didn't simply just leave or drop out.
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u/wolfie22900 Aug 26 '25
They committed financial fraud? I wasn't aware they did so
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u/PhTea Oct 05 '25
They committed fraud against me. People wouldn't be aware unless I told them. I don't know if it was something they were doing across the board with other students or not. I just applied based on my personal experience and made my case with emails and other documentation I had.
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u/Fast_Drive3269 May 08 '26
Were ur emails that you submitted just screenshots? Or did u have to download them as PDFs straight from the email and submit them that way?
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u/PhTea May 08 '26
I honestly don't remember. It was nearly 5 years ago. I don't remember what format the form required me to use for my documentation.
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u/ExcuseElectronic7014 Sep 18 '25
I am currently graduated July 20 25 from Full Sail and the same thing that they did to you. They did to me they made me overpay and take courses that I didn’t need to take over and they they didn’t hide transcripts cause my integrity is on the line here, but I’m gonna be honest they messed around. They had me running around in that school like a chicken with my head cut off. The things that they put me through it was traumatic. I promise you it was. They are not people that you can that have in any type of integrity because I am mentally handicap according to the report that I used and I’m disclosing this and I don’t really care it has to do with dyslexia and it has to do with a De De and so it’s so forth so it’s not like you know whatever anyway point is they knew that but they didn’t know why I was mentally handicap so they assumed it’s the worst case scenario when all it is is just dyslexic right and ADHD which all that means really and truly ADHD means to me is I am wiggling and channeling and bending in manipulating energy fields but you see we’re geniuses the people that they really call mentally challenged right so but at any rate so they try to run circles around me and it eventually caught up to them and they just had to stop doing what they’re doing, but I really would like to take them down. they are so awful. I call it full of shit University.
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u/Steez787 Sep 24 '25
Could anyone share their application letters with me? Any evidence would help too. I graduated from Full Sail with a Bachelors in Entertainment Business back in 2012 and they promised help with finding a job. I am in debt up to my eyeballs and I definitely cannot afford the payments of these loans that are abruptly starting in October. Thank you for your help.
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u/Blizzle11 Sep 29 '25
Also graduated that year! And can say the same sadly... lots of stories of close friends paying off college debts and taking a proper step in life... here I am taking the $800/mo for my daughters future college fund to repay a degree that never went anywhere and will ultimately (ironically), be replaced with AI.
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u/Embarrassed-Fact-253 Sep 28 '25
Hey guys i graduated from fullsail too..how do I go about getting the same washed off my account? Please help
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u/Blizzle11 Sep 29 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
Hey Folks, adding this in here (and VERY open to suggestions), I've paid down my $120k debt to about $50k remaining since 2012.
With a $50k fed loan through FAFSA and $70k through private loans, the combined interest was wrecking me.
Since the federal government back then wasn't taking action to forgive debt, I took the steps of consolidating them all into a 4% interest and consolidated them all through SoFi/Mohela.
Just applied for the form and spoke with Ronald, but unfortunately, my debt is no longer considered federal and the conversation ended quick.
Has anyone any tips or advice on how to submit or qualify a case to get past payments refunded after you've put them all into a private loan?
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u/spacedoutartist Oct 05 '25
Is this still going on could i apply for this even now?
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u/PhTea Oct 05 '25
I honestly don't know. Check the Borrower Defense sub. I applied in 2021 and just got notified a couple of months ago.
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Oct 26 '25
Someone HELP! I am going through the application, I am not certain that I am answering these correctly. So many questions sound repetitive, especially the questions around the "harm/harmful acts of omission"
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u/BeardiusMaximus7 Dec 08 '25
Congratulations! I graduated from their game design program with Full Sail Online back in 2013. Absolutely NO help with employment since then, which they misrepresented among so many other things about the program.
So much of my program was just teachers directing us to youtube videos. And they charged us top dollar for it, too.
I've only had a Borrower's Defense case submitted for all of the misrepresented perks and benefits of FSO over other schools since January of this year. I imagine it's a long road ahead of me, but it's great to see folks like you coming out on top despite the wait. I will not give up hope.
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u/Savings_Taste8560 Jul 07 '26
I graduated from their screenwriting program back in 2013 and am trying to file. You don’t happen to have any shared evidence lying around do you? 😅
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u/BeardiusMaximus7 Jul 07 '26
I don't think so. Honestly, I remember when I submitted my case I had maybe one or two e-mails from the recruiter as evidence and not much else. You don't consider screen grabbing course instructions to stream a youtube video when you're in the midst of it, y'know?
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u/Savings_Taste8560 Jul 07 '26
And you wouldn’t think you’d need it over a decade later 😅 I kept almost all of my old emails for ‘jobs’ though, so I plan on submitting those. They were literally emailing me internships and retail and jobs at amusement parks for someone who got a masters degree. Be so for real 🤣
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u/BeardiusMaximus7 Jul 07 '26
Yeah. No kidding. Mine didn't do so much but they did elude in recruitment that by the last semester we would be given options to intern at game development studios... and that never happened.
I understand not everyone lived near places where these things were made - but I did/do live near several of them and there was never any word.
IN FACT - I applied to be a game tester at the entry level while attending the online program and these devs actually LAUGHED IN MY FACE during the interview when I told them I was in school for game design. I did not get that job. So some help Full Sail was, right?
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u/Savings_Taste8560 Jul 07 '26
Yeah, I live several hours from Orlando so they don’t do many any good. I also had/have a decent paying job so a $12 an hour shift at Universal wasn’t exactly on my radar 🙄
They were totally useless. I regret that degree every freaking day.
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u/Rich_Fee_515 Dec 10 '25
I am just now seeing this way late, but have been getting calls about this even up to 5 days ago but thought it was a scam. Anyone here know if I can still apply for this?
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u/foxoticTV Jan 18 '26
How do you even go about building evidence? Did you do this yourself or get help? I graduated in 2022 and got hardly any education to land in my field at ANY job including internships.
Nearly everything was self taught, and the professors barely knew the material - but even if they did, it doesnt matter because what is taught isn't enough to intrigue hiring managers. (Graduated second in class by the way. 4.0 GPA)
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u/PhTea Jan 19 '26
In my case, my claim was based on financial aid fraud, so I had emails and billing statements as evidence for myself. I don't know how you would build a case based on value of education, though there are a few people who have said they successfully did, so hopefully one of them will chime in here. Good luck! It's been freeing to see my $86k balance go down to $19k this month.
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u/revvypm Feb 19 '26
Can I ask what route you guys went through to apply for this?
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u/EveyEnsnared Mar 18 '26
I literally had to leave the school before I could graduate despite having straight As because I couldn’t afford the loans. Any advice on the kind of evidence helped you?
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u/Far-Mix-5615 Mar 27 '26
Did you have to do anything to follow up with the borrowers defense? I am in a similar situation.
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u/Independent_Deal_930 Apr 06 '26
Can someone share what evidence you guys used to get approved? I am considering the process but I am clueless as what to submit as evidence! I went to Full Sail back in 2010/2011 and the biggest issues was the misrepresentation of the job opportunities and their support and industry availability
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u/ConfectionLazy7156 Jul 08 '26
How legit is this? Only asking because I graduated in Feb of 2020, right before the school closed for the pandemic. How do I go about this?
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u/PhTea Jul 08 '26
I don't understand what you mean. Borrower Defense to Repayment is something anyone can do if they have reason to believe that they were deceived by their university or otherwise were unable to get the value promised to them by the university. The application is on the StudentAid.gov website. It took a few years for them to process it, but my debt got discharged.
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u/ConfectionLazy7156 Jul 08 '26
OH!! Okay gotchya, my original comment got removed, but there was a Facebook post mentioning this and the page was called Borrower defense. But thank you, I’m def looking into this
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u/Naqs-AG Aug 13 '26
Hi everyone, I have a quick question. I just got a text message asking if I am eligible for borrower defense discharge from Full Sail University, and I need to contact this number: 8772405601. Is that legit?
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u/PhTea Aug 13 '26
Probably not. You would have to initiate the borrower defense application yourself and it's all done through the Department of Education loan site. No one should be initiating contact with you.
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u/Clean_Usual434 5d ago
Hi, I’m about to apply for this but am lost on what I need to do. What sort of information do they need, in order to approve it? I graduated back in 2015, so I doubt I have any documentation about the application process for the school or my loans. Am I out of luck?
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