Educativo, a popular online learning tool for educators, has been hit with a lawsuit filed by the federal government.
The complaint says that the company and several partners failed to adequately disclose that their services could be used for student loans, and failed to keep their users in compliance with federal law.
In an effort to help educate students about the risks of student loans and how they can minimize them, Education Week recently published an article that described Educativa’s “educational software for educators.”
“We are committed to providing educational software that’s both cost effective and affordable to help students navigate and thrive in today’s challenging economic environment,” Educativio said in a statement.
“Our mission is to create an environment that enables learners to learn by doing and to empower them to succeed.”
The lawsuit alleges that the educational software’s developers failed to disclose that Educativia’s educational software could be downloaded to any computer, tablet, and mobile device.
The company did not disclose to its users that their software could also be used to pay for college, or that they could access its tax-free student loan calculator.
The lawsuit also says that Educats software could collect information from students about their financial status and loans.
“Education Week’s reporting was not only inaccurate, but also misleading,” Education Week said in the statement.
Education Week did not respond to a request for comment.
The Education Week article is not the first time that the government has accused Educative.
The Associated Press reported that the Department of Education said in September that Education Week “failed to accurately portray the true nature and extent of the federal student loan program,” and “failing to accurately report the federal loan forgiveness program.”
Education Week also reported in September on a federal lawsuit filed against Education Week for failing to disclose the existence of the education software for Education Week’s educational program.