What Is the FTC Holder Rule for Student Loans?

The FTC Holder Rule for Student Loans is a consumer protection that lets you raise the same claims against your lender that you could against your school. If your school lied, committed fraud, or broke promises, the rule makes certain lenders share responsibility for that misconduct.

The FTC Holder Rule, officially called the Preservation of Consumers’ Claims and Defenses Rule, was created in 1976 to fix a major imbalance. Before it was created, if you bought a product or service with financing — like tuition from a school arranged through a lender — you had to keep paying the loan even if the school lied, failed to deliver, or committed fraud.

This rule makes sure your legal rights against the school don’t disappear just because your loan was made with the lender rather than the school. It preserves your claims and defenses. In plain terms, if your school misrepresented job placements, transfer credits, or the quality of its programs, you can raise those same defenses against the lender that holds your loan.

The FTC Holder Rule doesn’t cover every loan. To use it for student loans, three conditions generally must be met:

1. Consumer loan: You must be an individual using the loan for personal or household purposes — like paying tuition.

2. Direct connection: The financing must be tied directly to your education. For example, if you got a loan arranged through the school, it counts. If you simply took out a personal loan from your bank with no school involvement, it usually doesn’t.

3. School–lender relationship: This is the key piece. The school and your lender must have some qualifying connection. That could be a preferred lender list, the school helping you complete applications, keeping lender forms in the financial aid office, or even receiving payments for referrals. Courts look for patterns. The goal is to show the lender and the school worked together.

For the FTC Holder Rule to work in practice, loan contracts must include a special notice. The wording is legalistic, but the core message is simple: any company that holds your loan is subject to the same claims and defenses you could raise against the school. In other words, the lender is on the hook if the school engaged in fraud, misrepresentation, or broke its contract.

What if the notice is missing? The law requires it, and omission can be treated as an unfair or deceptive practice. In many cases, courts have treated the protection as “implied by law” if the loan meets the rule’s conditions — consumer loan, direct connection, and school–lender relationship — so lenders cannot always escape liability by leaving it out. But this isn’t universal. Some courts have refused to impose liability when the notice was absent, meaning borrowers may still need to litigate the issue depending on their jurisdiction.

The safeguard is still powerful. In most cases, it ensures schools and lenders can’t easily avoid accountability, even when paperwork is incomplete.

The FTC has made clear that student loans can fall under the FTC Holder Rule, but the type of loan matters.

Private Student Loans

For private student loans, the FTC Holder Rule can be a powerful tool. If your school misled you — for example, by lying about job placement rates or transfer credits — you may be able to use the rule.

The rule applies only if there’s a direct connection between the school (seller) and your lender (creditor). That connection can be proven in three ways:

• The school acted as the lender or creditor for your loan.

• The school regularly referred students to a specific lender—such as by using a preferred lender list or assisting students with loan applications.

• The school and lender were affiliated by common control, contract, or another business arrangement — for example, through joint advertising, services, or financial interdependence (see 16 C.F.R. § 433.1).

If none of these connections exist, the FTC Holder Rule does not apply to your loan. But if you can show that connection, the rule could cancel the rest of your debt or even refund payments you already made.

To succeed, you’ll need solid proof — often old financial aid packets, correspondence, lender lists, or testimony from other students. Outcomes can vary by court and state law, but establishing the connection is what makes the rule apply.

Related: Private Student Loan Forgiveness: What Really Exists

Federal Student Loans

For federal student loans, the FTC Holder Rule does not apply. The federal government is always the lender. Servicers like Nelnet or MOHELA only handle billing. Since ownership never changes hands, the rule is not triggered. Instead, you must use a different process called Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDTR). This program allows loan discharge if your school engaged in misconduct.

It helps to think of the FTC Holder Rule and Borrower Defense to Repayment as two separate tracks.

FTC Holder Rule

• Applies to: Private student loans with a school–lender relationship.
  Governed by: Federal Trade Commission.

• Basis for claims: Any defenses you could raise against the school, such as fraud, misrepresentation, or breach of contract.

• Remedies: Canceling the remaining loan balance. You may also get a refund of payments you already made (capped at that amount).

• Process: Legal. You can raise it as a defense if you’re sued. You may also bring your own lawsuit against the lender.

Borrower Defense to Repayment

• Applies to: Federal student loans only.

• Governed by: U.S. Department of Education.

• Basis for claims: Substantial misrepresentation, breach of contract, or aggressive recruitment by the school.

• Remedies: Loan discharge, potential refunds, and in some cases group discharges for entire classes of borrowers.

• Process: Administrative. You apply directly through the Department of Education.

Whether you’re looking at the FTC Holder Rule for a private loan or Borrower Defense to Repayment for a federal loan, the first step is the same: have a real claim against your school. Disliking a class isn’t enough. You need something concrete, like false job placement data, lies about transfer credits, or fraudulent enrollment practices.

Next, gather evidence such as:

• Enrollment agreements

• School catalogs

• Advertisements or brochures

• Emails or written communications

• Notes from conversations

For private loans, focus on proof of the school–lender relationship, like lender forms in the financial aid office or preferred lender lists. These details strengthen your ability to invoke the FTC Holder Rule.

With the FTC Holder Rule, you can use the school’s misconduct as a defense if your lender sues you. You may also file your own lawsuit to seek relief. With BDTR, you submit an application directly to the Department of Education.

The FTC Holder Rule is powerful, but it has limits. Any recovery is capped — you can only get back what you’ve paid toward the loan. But after a 2022 advisory opinion, the FTC clarified that this cap does not automatically apply to attorney’s fees or court costs if state law or your loan contract allows them. In those cases, fees may be awarded above the cap, though courts still debate the issue and lenders often contest it.

There are also risks. You cannot simply stop paying your student loan while hoping your claim works out. If your claim fails or you skip required steps, the fallout can be severe:

• Damaged credit

• Aggressive collection activity

• Wage garnishment

• Seized tax refunds (for federal loans)

Given these risks, you should take action only with a clear strategy. The FTC Holder Rule and Borrower Defense to Repayment both involve legal and administrative processes that can be complex. Before taking drastic action — especially stopping payments — talk to a qualified attorney or a trusted legal aid group that handles consumer protection or student loan issues.

If you think the FTC Holder Rule or Borrower Defense to Repayment might apply to your situation, several agencies can help. These official channels are designed to hold schools and lenders accountable — and to give you a path to relief:

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): File a complaint about private student loans. The CFPB also enforces the FTC Holder Rule. Start here: consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Explore student loan resources: consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/student-loans

• Borrower Protection Center (BPC): A nonprofit that advocates for student loan borrowers. Learn more: protectborrowers.org.

• Federal Trade Commission: The FTC investigates fraudulent schools and debt relief companies. It created the FTC Holder Rule. File a complaint here: reportfraud.ftc.gov.

• State Attorney General’s Office: Your Attorney General can investigate school misconduct and lender partnerships. Many AGs also sue on behalf of students. Find your AG and file a complaint using the NAAG map: naag.org/consumer-file-a-complaint.

• Department of Education (ED): The ED manages Borrower Defense to Repayment. Its Ombudsman Group helps resolve disputes with servicers. Use this option only after you’ve tried with your school or loan holder. Start here: studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/
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