Michelle Poitier Shares Her Personal Story Being Scammed by a Predatory College, Warns Veterans at Risk from Continuing Abuses of Predatory Practices of Sham Schools That Prey on Student Veterans – Waste Their GI Bill Benefits + Saddle Them with Debt
Michelle Poitier, a 2020 Florida Veterans ‘ Hall of Fame inductee from Jacksonville, Florida, will testify during a public hearing about how she was misled by a predatory for-profit college, University of Phoenix, and saddled with almost $30,000 in student loan debt without her knowledge. She is testifying as part of the Department of Education public hearings on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and Income-Driven repayment programs.
Poitier’s degree was ultimately worthless, and her loans were only forgiven after intervention from the U.S. Department of Education through the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge program. Today, the very Department staff who reviewed her case and secured that loan relief are being laid off as part of the Department’s dismantling.
“The recent staffing cuts at the Department of Education don’t just shrink a budget- they shrink access, equity, and opportunity for our veterans. Education is a lifeline for those transitioning from service to civilian life. We must ensure their pathway is protected, not paved over. This isn’t just policy. It’s personal. We fought for this country. Now we fight for the right to rebuild in it.”
WHY IT MATTERS:
Thousands of veterans have fallen victim to predatory schools that promise high-quality degrees, only to deliver debt and disappointment. The Department of Education is now laying off the oversight teams that helped protect students like Michelle and hold bad actors accountable.
Without them, future veterans may be scammed out of their GI Bill benefits by sham schools and have no recourse to fight back.
About Negotiated Rulemaking: The Department is required to solicit public input on changes to student financial regulations and must form a “negotiated rulemaking” committee that includes representatives of interests significantly affected by any regulatory changes. In addition to the specific topics listed by the Department, participants in the public hearings can propose additional topics for consideration by the Department aimed at streamlining current federal student financial assistance programs.
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:
Michelle Poitier, a 2020 Florida Hall of Fame inductee from Jacksonville, a U.S. Navy veteran, is available to share her personal story of being misled by a for-profit school, left in deep debt, and ultimately helped by Department of Education staff who are now being let go.
Barmak Nassirian, Vice President for Higher Education Policy, Veterans Education Success, is available to provide expert context on how the Department of Education protects veterans from predatory colleges, and what’s at stake if those protections disappear. He formerly served on the rulemaking committees in 2013, 2022, and 2024.
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Veterans Education Success is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to work on a bipartisan basis to advance higher education success for veterans, service members, and military families and to protect the integrity and promise of the GI Bill and other federal postsecondary education programs. The organization offers free help, advice, and college and career counseling to veterans using the GI Bill and helps them participate in their democracy by engaging with policymakers. Veterans Education Success also provides non-partisan policy expertise to federal and state policymakers and conducts non-partisan research on issues of concern to student veterans. Additional information is available at vetsedsuccess.org.
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