COURT PONDERS NEXT STEP IN DEVOS FORPROFIT SUIT

WASHINGTON» The Trump administration on Friday asked a federal court for another chance to delay an Obamaera policy meant to boost protections for students defrauded by forprofit schools.

The request comes two days after the court ruled that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ move to freeze the regulation known as borrower defense was “arbitrary and capricious.” That decision dealt a severe blow to her efforts to ease regulations on the forprofit college industry.

Attorney Adam Pulver with Public Citizen, an advocacy group, said defrauded students are facing “continuing everyday harm” and asked the court that the delayed regulation be enforced immediately.

But lawyers for the Department of Education asked U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss to give the agency a chance to correct the mistakes the court identified in how the delay was put in place. It also asked that in case the court does rule that the Obama regulation must take effect, that it grant the department 60 days to prepare.

Moss did not say when he would issue a ruling.

The Obama administration went hard after the forprofit sector, tightening regulations and spending over $550 million to forgive the loans of defrauded students. DeVos said that system was unfair to taxpayers and set out to rewrite those rules.