A federal judge refused the Education Department’s request for an 18‑month extension to resolve borrower‑defense claims tied to a 2022 settlement, preserving a Jan. 28 deadline that could trigger automatic relief for affected borrowers. The case — Sweet v. McMahon — centers on thousands of claims alleging substantial misconduct by 151 institutions named by the department. Judge William Alsup declined an extension for that group of borrowers, citing the settlement’s timelines; for other groups of borrowers the judge allowed a shorter extension to April 15. The ruling compels the Education Department to accelerate decision‑making or risk automatic debt relief for qualifying claimants. Colleges named in the settlement, borrower advocates, and the department now face a compressed timetable with potential fiscal and regulatory consequences for institutions implicated in allegations of misconduct.