Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Elizabeth (Betsy) Dee DeVosSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report NEA president says Azar and DeVos should resign over school reopening guidance The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - You might want to download TikTok now MORE moved Friday to roll back a policy created under the Obama administration that aimed to prevent for-profit colleges from predatory practices.

The Department of Education posted a notice online, saying the Gainful Employment rule created in 2014 would be repealed entirely starting July 1, 2020.

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Under Gainful Employment rules, for-profit colleges were required to share student debt-to-earnings ratios to prove their programs were worth the cost and adequately educated students. Colleges that consistently left graduates with low incomes and high debt would lose federal funding.

In the notice posted Friday, however, DeVos officials argued that the rule was flawed and other factors outside of program quality could contribute to a graduate's future salary.

"Again and again, Secretary DeVos proves she only cares about protecting for-profit colleges, no matter how many students they swindle," Aaron Ament, president of the National Student Legal Defense Network, said in a statement.

The move comes as the student debt crisis has become a policy topic among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, and the lawmakers debate how to address the more than $1 trillion in outstanding student debt in the U.S.

Earlier this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Bernie Sanders: 'This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome MORE (I-Vt.) released his plan to cancel $1.3 trillion in student debt, a move that comes after challenger Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Democratic senators ask inspector general to investigate IRS use of location tracking service MORE (D-Mass.) rolled out her own plan to forgive tens of thousands in loans.