ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Overview
Billionaire Republican donor appointed U.S. Secretary of Education (2017-2021) despite having no experience in public education. Systematically dismantled student borrower protections, rolled back Obama-era regulations on predatory for-profit colleges, and championed the diversion of public school funding to private and religious institutions through voucher programs. Her family, through Amway fortune and political donations, spent over $200 million influencing Republican politics before her appointment.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Rolled back Obama-era Borrower Defense to Repayment rule protecting defrauded student loan borrowers
Reinstated recognition of ACICS accreditor that had approved fraudulent for-profit colleges like ITT Tech and Corinthian
Delayed and weakened gainful employment rule designed to hold for-profit colleges accountable for poor outcomes
Family donated $200+ million to Republican causes before appointment; critics called it pay-to-play cabinet selection
Confirmed as Secretary only through Vice President Pence's historic tie-breaking vote - first ever for a cabinet nominee
Proposed massive budget cuts to public education while championing voucher programs benefiting private/religious schools
Refused to commit that schools receiving federal funds would not discriminate against LGBTQ+ students or students with disabilities
Department under her leadership sat on 150,000+ pending borrower defense claims without processing them
Invested in student loan debt collection company while overseeing student loan policy
Related Investigations (5)
Criminal Charges & Violations
3 documented violations
20 U.S.C. § 1087e - Higher Education Act ViolationsFederal judge held DeVos Department in contempt for continuing to collect on loans from defrauded Corinthian Colleges students in violation of court order(regulatory)
Conflict of Interest - Financial HoldingsMaintained financial interests in student loan debt collection industry while overseeing federal student loan policy affecting 45 million borrowers(financial)
Administrative Procedure Act ViolationsMultiple federal courts struck down DeVos rule changes as arbitrary and capricious including borrower defense and Title IX regulations(regulatory)
Known Associates & Connections
Dick DeVos
Husband and Amway heir; family fortune funded decades of political influence
Erik Prince
Brother; founder of Blackwater military contractor
Donald Trump
President who appointed her Secretary of Education
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
GAO Report on Department of Education Student Loan Oversight(2020)
Federal Court Contempt Finding: Borrower Defense Claims(2019)
Senate HELP Committee Confirmation Hearing Testimony(2017)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1958-01-08
- Birthplace
- Holland, Michigan
Education
- •B.A. in Business Economics, Calvin College (1979)
Key Timeline
1958-01-08
Born in Holland, Michigan to Edgar Prince (founder of Prince Corporation)
1979
Marries Dick DeVos, heir to Amway fortune; family net worth eventually exceeds $5 billion
1990s-2000s
DeVos family donates $200+ million to Republican causes and school voucher campaigns
2017-02-07
Confirmed as Secretary of Education by historic 51-50 vote with VP Pence breaking tie
2017-06
Begins rolling back Obama-era borrower defense protections for defrauded students
2018
Reinstates recognition of ACICS accreditor linked to fraudulent for-profit colleges
2019-10
Federal judge holds Department in contempt for illegally collecting loans from defrauded students
2020
Finalizes weakened borrower defense rule making it nearly impossible for defrauded students to get relief
2021-01-07
Resigns as Secretary of Education citing January 6 Capitol attack