Ninth Circuit Rejects Education Department’s Bid To Delay Loan Forgiveness

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously rejected (PDF File) the Department of Education's appeal to delay student loan relief for more than 170,000 borrowers under the Sweet v. McMahon borrower defense settlement, affirming the district court's ruling on July 17, 2026.

The judges found the Department failed to show the "changed circumstances" legally required to modify a settlement it agreed to in 2022 and said the agency knew exactly what it was signing up for.