Senate Bill 629 introduces a statutory cause of action for students against private for-profit colleges in Wisconsin, specifically addressing instances of fraud. The bill amends section 440.52 (10) (f) of the statutes to allow students to bring civil actions against proprietary schools that provide materially false, fraudulent, or misleading information. This addition complements existing provisions that already permit students to seek recovery of fees from schools operating without the necessary approval from the Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Under the new legal framework, students who prevail in their claims can recover not only the fees paid to the school but also costs and reasonable attorney fees. The bill emphasizes the importance of accountability for proprietary schools and aims to protect students from deceptive practices. The changes will take effect for conduct occurring on or after the effective date of the legislation.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 440.52(10)(f), 440.52