This bill, known as the "PROTECT Students Act of 2025," seeks to provide comprehensive accountability in higher education by implementing various student and taxpayer protections, strengthening institutional integrity, improving oversight, and increasing transparency. Title I significantly enhances student and taxpayer protections. It strengthens gainful employment standards by defining failing programs based on debt-to-earnings rates and earnings premiums, leading to a loss of federal funding for non-compliant programs. The bill also broadens the grounds for borrower defense to repayment , allowing loan discharges for substantial misrepresentations, contractual failures, aggressive recruitment, and adverse legal judgments against institutions, while streamlining group discharge processes. Furthermore, it expands closed school discharge eligibility to cover more scenarios, including institutions ceasing instruction in major programs, and allows for automatic discharge without application after one year. A crucial provision prohibits institutions from requiring or enforcing arbitration agreements or other limitations on students' ability to pursue claims in court, establishing a private right of action for violations with enhanced penalties. The bill also reinforces the ban on incentive compensation for student recruitment, requiring annual attestations and independent audits. Title II focuses on ensuring integrity at institutions and their contractors. It expands federal oversight of third-party servicers to include areas like recruitment and instructional content. The bill mandates a single, consistent definition for job placement rates to improve accuracy in disclosures and requires institutions to spend a minimum percentage of tuition and fee revenue on instruction and student services, with reporting and warning mechanisms. New provisions under this title prohibit institutions from employing individuals or contracting with entities associated with past fraud, misuse of funds, or federal funding losses. It also clarifies and strengthens the Secretary's authority to recoup liabilities from institutions for student loan discharges, program review findings, or misconduct, requiring owner signatures on program participation agreements to ensure repayment. Title III aims to improve oversight mechanisms. It establishes a dedicated enforcement unit within the Office of Federal Student Aid, led by a Chief Enforcement Officer, tasked with investigating misconduct, enforcing regulations, and processing borrower defense claims. This unit will conduct "secret shopping" and coordinate with other agencies. An inter-agency For-Profit Education Oversight Coordination Committee is created to enhance federal oversight of for-profit institutions, share information, and protect students from predatory practices. The bill mandates the establishment of a centralized complaint resolution and tracking system for students and the public to report issues, ensuring timely responses and public data on complaints. It reforms eligibility and certification procedures , requiring full compliance for non-provisional certification and allowing termination of provisionally certified institutions for violations, while strengthening false claims provisions. Additionally, it modifies requirements for State oversight of distance education and enhances accrediting agency oversight , requiring them to assess risk to students, especially concerning third-party servicers. Finally, Title IV improves access to student and taxpayer information. It mandates public disclosures and warnings for programs failing gainful employment standards. Institutions must report detailed data on instructional spending, third-party servicer contracts, and online program outcomes. Proprietary institutions are required to disclose material facts such as ownership changes, legal actions, and financial status to the Secretary, who must then make this information publicly available. The bill also increases transparency by requiring public disclosure of borrower defense claims and discharges data , 90/10 rule data, change of ownership applications, institutional financial standing (including audits and letters of credit), and full program participation agreements. Furthermore, it mandates public disclosure of all Department and accrediting agency reports and actions related to institutional oversight, ensuring greater accountability across the higher education sector.