Devos Watch

DeVos Watch 2018 Annual Report

Since joining the U.S. Senate, Senator Elizabeth Warren has made strong oversight of the U.S. Education Department's student loan program a top priority. With Secretary Betsy DeVos now leading the Education Department, effective oversight is more important than ever. In her first year on the job, Secretary DeVos has taken a series of steps that undermine protections for students and taxpayers. To ensure that the Education Department acts in the public interest, Congress and the public must demand accountability.

Read the first DeVos Watch Annual Report compiled by the offices of Senator Warren and Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). The 17-page report finds that Secretary DeVos's major actions during her first year in charge of the U.S. Department of Education has been a boon for for-profit colleges, student loan companies, and advocates of school privatization at the expense of America's K12 and college students. The report reveals that Secretary DeVos's actions have raised serious ethical questions, prioritized for-profit colleges over student borrowers, weakened traditional public education in favor of non-public schools, and reversed civil rights protections for students.

A PDF copy of "DeVos Watch, Year One: Failing America's Students" may be downloaded here.

VIDEO: Senator Elizabeth Warren Explains DeVos Watch and Why We Need It

Read Senator Warren's Op-Ed at CNN.com about the launch of DeVos Watch here.

"Millions of parents and teachers across the country stood by our side to fight against the nomination of Betsy DeVos because we knew how awful her extreme ideological agenda would be for students, borrowers, and schools — and we were very concerned about how her financial entanglements and potential conflicts of interest would impact the Department of Education. When Secretary DeVos was confirmed, we committed to holding her accountable and making sure she couldn't get away with undermining students, higher education, or public schools in the shadows or helping big corporations or special interest groups without scrutiny — so I am so glad that Senator Warren is continuing this effort and doubling down on the critical DeVos Watch work." — Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

DeVos Watch Oversight Actions

January 30	Warren Questions Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the Department of Education Nominee Robert King [Responses to Questions]
December 12	Warren, Bonamici, Colleagues Call on DeVos to Rescind ACICS Reinstatement [Press Release]
November 28	Warren Leads Members of HELP Committee in Calling for a Hearing on Nominee for Critical Education Department Post [Press Release]
October 16	Warren, Murray, Scott question DeVos over mishandling of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program after it was reported that it has a 99.6% denial rate. [Letter (PDF)]
October 10	Warren, Baldwin, Stabenow urge Secretary DeVos to do more to combat lead in schools [Press Release]
October 10	Warren, Durbin, Blumenthal, Warren, Hassan urge DeVos to take action against the predatory for-profit chain “CEHE” [Press Release]
September 27	Warren, Brown urge DeVos to hold the troubled for-profit college InfiLaw accountable and protect students [Letter (PDF)]
September 20	Warren, Murray, Harris urge DeVos to abandon the Education Department’s faulty collective bargaining agreement [Press Release]
September 14	Warren, Murray send letter opposing Secretary DeVos’ proposal to rollback the “gainful employment” rule that holds colleges accountable [Letter (PDF)]
September 14	Warren, Serrano, Gillibrand, Velasquez express concerns over DeVos’s handling of disaster relief funding to colleges damaged by major hurricanes [Letter (PDF)]
September 13	Warren, Murray raise concerns about DeVos' deregulatory higher education agenda that pulls back critical student protections [Letter (PDF)]
September 6	Murphy, Warren, Colleagues request Secretary DeVos to testify at hearing about school safety and the use of federal money to arm teachers [Press Release]
August 30	Warren, Durbin, Blumenthal, Brown question involvement of Diane Jones in Dream Center Education Holding’s (DCEH) misrepresentation of accreditation [Press Release]
August 29	Murray, Warren, Colleagues send letter to DeVos strongly opposing proposed rules that limit “Borrower Defense” protections for student loan borrowers who have been cheated, misled, or defrauded [Press Release]
August 29	Murray, Warren, Colleagues send letter urging DeVos to abandon proposal to allow states to use federal funds to arm teachers [Press Release]
August 3	Warren, Durbin, Colleagues send letter to Education Department asking them to help students harmed by the closing of predatory, for-profit colleges [Press Release]
June 25	Tester, Manchin, Warren urge the Education Department to better fund the TRIO program and help students complete a college degree [Letter (PDF)]
June 13	Smith, Warren, Colleagues urge Education Department to help teachers who are unfairly being forced to repay money they were promised as grants [Press Release]
June 4	Cortez Masto, Espaillat, Warren, Colleagues send Secretary DeVos letter to correct her false testimony that local schools have the discretion to report undocumented students to ICE for deportation [Press Release]
May 24	Warren Joins Murray, Senators in Denouncing Move by Secretary DeVos to End Investigations and Office Responsible for Protecting Students from Predatory Colleges [Press Release]
May 24	Warren, Senators Press DeVos for Answers Following Decision to Restore Recognition of For-Profit Accreditor ACICS [Press Release]
May 24	Cortez Masto, Grijalva, Warren, Colleagues express concerns over Education Department’s consolidation of the Office of English Language Acquisition into the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education [Press Release]
May 23	Warren, Murray express concerns over Education Department’s student aid enforcement unit and the end of major for profit college investigations [Press Release ]
May 22	Warren, Durbin, Colleagues urge the Education Department to reduce barriers student loan borrowers face to have their student loans discharged in bankruptcy [Letter (PDF)]
May 22	Warren, Casey and colleagues express concern over the dismissal of more than 500 disability rights complaints by the Office of Civil Rights [Press Release]
May 22	Warren, Velasquez, Serrano, Colleagues question Secretary DeVos’s decision not to simplify how colleges obtain disaster relief funds after the 2017 hurricanes [Letter (PDF)]
May 17	Duckworth, Murray, Warren, Colleagues urge Secretary DeVos to distribute funding for child care for parents in school from the FY18 omnibus budget bill [Press Release]
April 30	Warren Joins Donnelly, Colleagues Call for Department of Education to Assist Students Harmed by Closure of ITT Tech [Press Release]
April 30	Warren, Blumenthal, Colleagues Raise Concerns Over For-Profit College Industry Lobbyist’s “Oversight” Role at the Department of Education [Press Release]
March 15	Warren, Colleagues Call for Top DeVos Adviser's Recusal from Decisions on For-Profit Colleges Owned by Former Employer [Press Release]
March 1	Warren releases 2018 DeVos Watch Annual Report [Press Release]
January 25	Warren Questions Education Department Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Nominee Frank T. Brogan [Video]
January 24	Warren, Harris, Colleagues Raise Concerns Over Private Debt Collectors in Higher Education [Press Release]
January 4	Warren Questions Federal Student Aid Chief on Student Loan Servicing and Borrower Protection [Press Release]
January 2	Warren Calls for Inspectors General Review of Education Department's Potential Misuse of Social Security Data to Limit Relief for Defrauded Students [Press Release]
December 13	Warren, Murray, Senators Demand Department of Education Continue Work of the Enforcement Unit, which protects students from fraudulent schools [Press Release]
December 5	Senator Warren Sends Questions for the Record to Education Department Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Nominee Kenneth Marcus
November 15	Senator Warren Sends Questions for the Record to Education Department Nominees James Blew and Brigadier General Mitchell Zais
November 14	New Report Highlights Betsy DeVos's Failure to Cancel Student Loans of Nearly 90,000 Defrauded Students [Press Release]
October 23	Warren, Bonamici Request SEC Investigation into Potential Insider Trading of Navient Stock [Press Release]
October 4	Senator Warren Asks ED General Counsel Nominee to Submit Substantive Responses to Hearing Questions [Press Release]
August 16	Warren Asks DeVos for Information to Determine if Senior Counselor Eitel Broke the Law [Press Release]
August 1	Warren, Blunt Lead Effort to Benefit Student Borrowers and Taxpayers [Press Release]
August 1	Senator Warren Statement on DeVos' Reversal of Single Loan Servicer Plan [Press Release]
July 27	After Multiple Non-Responses from DeVos, Sen. Warren Asks ED Nominee for Commitment to Reply to Oversight Requests [Press Release]
July 27	Senator Warren Statement on Peter Oppenheim's nomination [Press Release]
June 29	Members of Congress to Secretary DeVos: Stand Up for Students and Families, Reverse Delay of Protections for Defrauded Students [Press Release]
June 12	Murray, Warren, Scott, Bonamici Urge Secretary DeVos to Protect Students, Reverse Student Loan Decisions [Press Release]
June 8	Warren, Murray, Brown and Durbin Question Secretary DeVos About Possible Delays in ED's Borrower Defense Regulation [Letter (PDF)]
June 5	Warren Urges HELP Committee to Hold Hearing, Following Abrupt Resignation of Office of Federal Student Aid Chief [Press Release]
May 23	Warren, Murray Raise Concerns about Potential Ethics Violations by Education Dept. Advisor Eitel [Press Release]
April 26	Murray, Warren, Scott, Bonamici Urge Secretary DeVos to Reinstate Student Loan Protections [Press Release]
March 31	Murray, Warren Question Department of Education Official's Ties, Conflicts of Interest with For-Profit College Chain [Press Release]
March 17	Warren Questions DeVos About the Hiring of Robert Eitel and Taylor Hansen [Letter (PDF)]
March 14	Durbin, Murray, Warren Lead Group Of Senators Calling On Education Department To Explain Delay Of Gainful Employment Rule [Press Release]
March 14	Warren, Bonamici Urge Administration to Protect Student Loan Borrowers from Unnecessary Fees [Press Release]
March 7	Warren, Sanders, Casey, Baldwin, Franken, Hassan and Murphy Ask Alexander for HELP Committee Hearings on Education Department Nominees [Press Release]
February 23	Following Reports Jerry Falwell Jr. to Lead Presidential Task Force, Senate Dems Call On Education Secretary DeVos to Guard Against Potential Conflicts of Interest [Press Release]
January 30	Sen. Warren Receives Responses from Nominee Betsy DeVos's to her Questions for the Record During the Confirmation Process [Responses (PDF)]
January 27	HELP Committee Members Raise Fresh Concerns About Education Secretary-Designate Betsy DeVos's Conflicts of Interest in Higher Education [Press Release]
January 17	Senator Elizabeth Warren questions Betsy DeVos at Senate confirmation hearing
January 9	Senator Warren Questions Education Secretary-Designate DeVos’ Experience, Positions, and Priorities [Press Release]
January 5	HELP Committee Members Request Details of DeVos's Connections to Dark Money Groups [Press Release]

Resources for Students and Families

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): The CFPB has handled over 1 million complaints, helping students get direct responses about problems with student loans, debt collection, credit reports, and other financial products. If you have a complaint about your loan servicers — the company that administers your student loan — or about a student loan debt collector, you may wish to submit a complaint to the CFPB.

Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General: If you live in Massachusetts and you are having trouble paying your student loans or experiencing difficulty with your student loan servicer, then Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office may also be able to help. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Insurance & Financial Services Division provides a hotline, 1-888-830-6277 for Massachusetts residents, and free mediation service to Massachusetts borrowers who are having difficulties with student loans. More information is available here.

Individuals from other states may wish to contact their Attorney General's office regarding direct assistance that is offered to student borrowers. A directory of state attorneys general is available here.

Whistleblower Tip Email

Senator Warren has established a whistleblower tip email for individuals who want to share information with Senator Warren and her staff that could provide insight into whether or not the Education Department's actions are legal and ethical, and whether they honor the trust that students and taxpayer put in the Department. The form to submit a whistleblower tip is available here.