A February 2025 lawsuit challenged the Department of Education’s alleged access to student-loan records by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The University of California Student Association asked a court to stop that access and return records it said had been obtained without authorization. The allegations were not court findings, and the available report does not establish how the case was ultimately resolved.
What the lawsuit alleged
On February 7, 2025, Ars Technica reported that the University of California Student Association had sued the Department of Education over DOGE’s alleged access to student-loan and related records. The association said the records could reveal sensitive financial information not only about borrowers, but also about parents or spouses whose information may be held in department records.
The complaint, as summarized by Ars Technica, alleged that data could be examined with AI tools to identify spending cuts. The article described that as a claim about the possible purpose of the access—not proof that DOGE used borrower records to dismantle the department. Ars Technica’s February 7, 2025 report is the source for these allegations.
What the association asked the court to do
The association sought an immediate halt to DOGE’s access to student-loan data. It also requested temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief and the return of records it said had been accessed without authorization. Those were requests for relief; the report does not establish that a judge granted them.
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Who could be affected
Ars Technica reported the lawsuit’s estimate that more than 42 million people in the United States had federal student loans. The figure was attributed to the lawsuit, and the article did not identify an original statistical publication, so it should be understood as a figure reported in the case rather than independently verified here.
The plaintiff, the University of California Student Association, represents more than 230,000 undergraduate students, according to the same report. The complaint’s privacy concern extended beyond students who borrowed: records held by the department could also contain financial information about borrowers’ parents or spouses.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Education Department’s response
Madi Biedermann, the department’s deputy assistant secretary for communications, told Ars Technica: “There is nothing inappropriate or nefarious going on.” That was the department’s reported response to the allegations, not a judicial determination about whether the access was authorized.
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What is—and is not—established
- Established by the report: The University of California Student Association sued the Department of Education and requested court orders addressing DOGE’s alleged access to records.
- Alleged by the plaintiffs: The access was unauthorized and the records could be analyzed to find spending cuts, potentially affecting the department.
- Not established by this report: Whether a court granted the requested relief, whether records were returned, or the case’s later history and final outcome.
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