Massachusetts officials seek closer scrutiny of for-profit scools

The Boston Globe reports that two Massachusetts officials are taking steps to provide closer scrutiny of for-profit colleges, where students often find themselves taking on heavy student loan debts for subpar programs with limited job prospects and credit transfer opportunities.
According to the report, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has introduced a "bill she said will protect student borrowers by requiring colleges to assume some of the risk of student loan default." 
Meanwhile, the state's attorney general, Martha Coakley, " is proposing new state regulations prohibiting for-profit and occupational schools from using misleading advertising and unfair lending practices."
If you have a concern about a for-profit school, contact the attorneys at The Googasian Firm, 1-877-540-8333.

Ivy Bridge College Suddenly Announces Closing

Thousands of students pursuing associate's degrees through Tiffin University's Ivy Bridge College unit are reeling in the wake of the sudden announcement that Ivy Bridge will be closing in October.  Tiffin announced on August 1 via a post on Facebook that would be discontinuing its degree programs effective October 20.  The Toledo Blade reports that the sudden announcement regarding closure comes after Tiffin withdrew a proposal for accreditation for its Ivy Bridge programs made to The Higher Learning Commission after it became clear that it would not be supported by the accrediting body.  The forthcoming closure may affect thousands of students pursuing online programs, many of whom have incurred tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
The Googasian Firm, P.C., a Michigan-based firm that has represented thousands of students in class actions arising from school closings, is investigating the developments at Tiffin and Ivy Bridge.  If you have concerns that you wish to share with The Googasian Frim, please call 1-877-540-8333 or send an e-mail to contact@googasian.com.

American Career Institute Suddenly Closes

Hundreds of adults enrolled in job-training programs at American Career Institute are reeling following the sudden closing of the school.
The school's campuses in Massachusetts and Maryland closed without warning, leaving students without immediate recourse for completion of programs for which they had paid substantial tuition and devoted considerable time.
Media reports have suggested that administrators at the ACI had notice for a period of weeks regarding financial problems at the Springfield-based company, but students appear to have been kept in the dark.
Attorneys at The Googasian Firm, P.C., a law firm that has represented thousands of students affected by improper actions by for-profit schools around the country, is investigating.  If you have a concern or question about ACI's closing, feel free to call 1-877-540-8333 or contact@googasian.com.

Butler, Sawyer Schools Suddenly Close in Connecticut

Three Connecticut business schools have suddenly closed, leaving more than 1,000 students with significant student loan debt stunned and looking for answers.
Published reports in recent days have described the sudden closing of Butler Business School in Bridgeport and the Sawyer Schools in Hamden and Hartford that have affected 1,200 students. A state law requires at least 60 days notice prior to the closing of a school, and news reports indicate that this law may have been violated by Butler and Sawyer.

Attorneys at The Googasian Firm, P.C., a Michigan law firm that pursues claims against post-secondary schools on behalf of current and former students, are investigating the closure on behalf of students.  The Googasian Firm served as class counsel for students in a class action filed against Clayton College of Natural Health, Inc.. after that natural wellness school suddenly closed in July 2010.  The firm also represents a class of students affected by accreditation issues and the closing at the Palm Beach Institute of Technology.
If you have concerns about these closings that you wish to share with an attorney at The Googasian Firm, please call 1-877-540-8333.

Closure of Global College of Natural Medicine Investigated

Global College of Natural Medicine abruptly closed on November 30, 2012, leaving thousands of students without any clear recourse for completion of their studies or return of tuition entrusted to the school.  The California-based distance education school cited an inability to renew its license as a basis for the closing.

Attorneys at The Googasian Firm, P.C., a Michigan law firm that pursues claims against post-secondary schools on behalf of current and former students, are investigating the closure on behalf of students.  The Googasian Firm served as class counsel for students in a class action filed against Clayton College of Natural Health, Inc. after that natural wellness school suddenly closed in July 2010.

If you have concerns about GCNM's closing that you wish to share with an attorney at The Googasian Firm, please call 1-877-540-8333, or fill out a concern form here.

DACC Nursing Program Loses Accredtiation

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Dona Ana Community College in New Mexico was denied accreditation for its nursing program, leaving many students "worried and scrambling to find out what the loss means for their academic and professional careers."

According to the Sun-News, the Georgia-based National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission announced last week on its website that it had denied accreditation for DACC's associate-degree granting program.  Graduation from an accredited nursing program typically is a pre-requisite for many certifications and hiring.   DACC has told students that, despite the failure to obtain accreditation, they remain eligible to take a national licensure exam.

Loss of accreditation is a recurring issue in post-secondary education.  The Googasian Firm, P.C., a Michigan-based law firm that has represented thousands of college students across the country in multiple class actions arising from acts by schools that have harmed students, recently filed a class action on behalf of out-of-state students affected by the Higher Learning Commission's recent actions to revoke accreditation for Mountain State University in West Virginia.  The firm also is investigating the developments with regard to accreditation at DACC's nursing program.  If you have questions or concerns about DACC's failure to obtain accreditation, you may share those concerns with attorneys at The Googasian Firm by sending an e-mail to contact@googasian.com or calling 1-877-540-8333.

Virginia Union Warned By Accrediting Body

The Associate Press reports that Virginia Union University has received a warning from its accrediting body due to reported failure to comply with certain financial standards.
According to the AP, the Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges has identified deficiencies in the Richmond-based university's control over its financial resources, as well as its control over externally funded programs and research. Importantly, the accrediting body also faulted Virginia Union for failure to comply with federal Title IV student financial aid requirements.
The commission is scheduled to review Virginia Union's accreditation in December.
Another university, Mountain State University, based in Beckley, West Virginia, lost its accreditation earlier this month.
If you have have concerns about accreditation issues at Virginia Union or Mountain State, you may share these concerns with attorneys at The Googasian Firm, P.C., which has represented thousands of students in class actions against colleges and technical schools throughout the United States, at contact@googasian.com.

Higher Learning Commission withdrawing accreditation of Mountain State University

Mountain State University, a university based in Beckley, West Virginia with online offerings across the country, has learned that its general accreditation body is withdrawing the school's accreditation.

As reported in the Register-Herald newspaper, Mountain State is facing loss of its general accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission on August 27.  The decision by HLC follows a year-long review that resulted in a notice by the accrediting body faulting the university in areas including "lack of integrity, resources and administrative leadership."  

The HLC is requiring Mountain State to file a teach-out plan with the commission by July 23 and students must be notified of their options by July 31.  Mountain State has announced plans to appeal the decision to withdraw accreditation.  Mountain State would keep its accreditation during any appeal process, according to published reports.

Separately, The Googasian Firm, P.C., a Michigan-based law firm that has pursued claims on behalf of thousands of students harmed by school closings and deceptive practices by institutions of higher education, is investigating the impact of these developments on current students.  If you have a concern that you wish to share with a Googasian Firm attorney, call 1-877-540-8333 or contact@googasian.com.

Ashford University Suffers Accreditation Setback

Ashford University, a for-profit school owned by Bridgepoint Education, Inc., suffered a significant setback last week when its accreditation application was denied by a regional accreditor.  Bloomberg Businessweek is among the news organizations reporting how Ashford did not comply with "multiple aspects" of the accreditor's standards in areas related to student retention, maintaining a core of full-time faculty and having an independent governing board. Ashford was seeking accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.  Among the revelations in the recent reports is a large number of students dropping out of the school, which has a campus in Iowa and a significant online presence.
The Googasian Firm, P.C., a law firm specializing in pursuit of claims against for-profit schools,  is investigating the impact of Ashford's accreditation problems on current students.  If you have concerns about Ashford, you may share these concerns with Googasian Firm attorneys by calling 1-877-540-8333 or sending an e-mail to contact@googasian.com.

For Profit Colleges Suffer Enrollment Drops

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that intense public scrutiny of the nation's largest for-profit higher education have taken a toll on enrollment, revenue and profit.  Companies including Career Education Corporation, Corinthian Colleges, and Kaplan have all experienced declines during a period of "negative publicity abut their colleges from Congressional hearings, lawsuits, and state investigations," according to the Chronicle.
In some instances in the for-profit school sector, declining enrollment and revenue actually prompts admissions officials -- who are responsible for meeting sales targets -- to engage in deceptive practices on issues like accreditation, credit transferability, and placement.   If you are a student or school official with concerns about the practices of a particular for-profit school, click here.

Institute of Medical Education student: "We wasted a whole year for nothing"

California state officials are continuing their efforts in shutting down the Bay Area-based Institute of Medical Education over financial and accreditation problems.  More than 250 students who each paid the school thousands of dollars in tuition are dealing with problems relating to non-transferability of credits and lack of accreditation at the school that operated Oakland and San Jose campuses. One of the students effected by the closure told the San Jose Mercury News, "We wasted a whole year for nothing."

The Googasian Firm, P.C. is investigating the closure, following its representation in class actions of thousands of students harmed by other for-profit schools.  Persons wishing to share their concerns about the the Institute of Medical Education with Googasian Firm attorneys may do so here.

New Bill Attempts to Protect Vets From Unscrupulous For-Profit Colleges

Legislation introduced this week in Washington, D.C. aims to close a loophole that encourages unscrupulous for-profit colleges from taking advantage of military veterans in enrollment practices.
The Military and Veterans Education Protection Act would discontinue the current practice of allowing GI Bill funds and other defense-related education programs from being counted as "private funding" by for-profit schools, which are required to have at least 10 percent of their revenue from private sources.  Due to the loophole, unscrupulous for-profit schools target veterans in an effort to lure them to enroll in their programs, thereby helping the schools' satisfy their 10-percent requirement.
A host of Democratic Senators introduced the bill this week in the U.S. Senate, including Sen Al Franken (D-Minn), Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), Sen. Tom Casper (D-Del.), and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).  A report on the bill can be read here.
Deceptive enrollment practices are a chronic problem in the for-profit school industry.  If you have a concern about a for-profit school and its tactics, share it at www.forprofitschoolwatchdog.net.

California shuts down nursing school over accreditation

State of California regulators have shut down a for-profit school over allegations of false accreditation and other improprieties.  According to a recent news report, the Institute for Medical Education was closed on February 15, 2012 after California regulators "determined it had deceived students enrolled in programs such as dental hygiene, nursing and other medical fields."
The Googasian Firm, P.C., a law firm in Michigan that has represented thousands of students harmed by for-profit schools, is commencing an investigation of the closing.  For further information on The Googasian Firm's efforts against for-profit schools, visit here. The firm has served as class counsel in numerous class actions against for-profit schools, and it recently filed a lawsuit against the Palm Beach Institute of Technology regarding claims pertaining to its lack of accreditation.  For additional information on the Palm Beach Institute of Technology case, click here.
If you have a concern abut the Institute for Medical Education or another for-profit school that you wish to share with a Googasian Firm attorney, call 1-877-540-8333 or click here.

Columnist: "Beware of For-Profit Schools"

An editorial in the Belvoir Eagle urges the public to "beware of for-profit schools," where enrollment has risen dramatically in the past decade.  Joyce M. Peterson writes:

For-profit schools are educational institutions operated by private seeking businesses. There are many categories of for-profit schools but the ones that Soldiers, Family members and Department of Defense civilians should be aware of are post-secondary institutions which employ deceptive marketing tactics by refusing to disclose total tuition cost and fees to prospective students before they enroll with the school; enticing students to take out student loans even when the applicant already has enough financial assistance. These schools promise extravagant, unlikely high pay to students after graduating and over-flood the market with advertisements in newspapers, the internet, radio and television.

If you have concerns about a for-profit school's practices, share your views with attorneys at The Googasian Firm by submitting your concerns here.

TV investigation probes Belford High School

KHOU's investigative unit, the I-Team, has broadcast a report on Belford High School, which operates out of Karachi, Pakistan.  The I-Team went to two addresses provided for Belford High School in Texas and found one of them to be an abandoned building and another to be a closed-down commercial mailbox store.  The president of Houston's Better Business Bureau criticizes Belford in the report as "classic con artistry."
Belford and its owner, Salem Kureshi, are defendants in a class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.  The class of recipients of Belford diplomas on whose behalf the class action is being pursued are represented by The Googasian Firm, P.C.  For further information on the class action, click here.

For Profit Colleges Spent Heavily To Water Down New Regulations

The New York Times reports that the for-profit college industry spent more than $16 million to lobby the Obama Administration for watered-down regulations that threatened to strip for-profit schools for eligibility for federal student loans if their schools failed to meet standards relating to graduates' gainful employment.  The lobbying effort was backed by officials connected to Kaplan University and University of Phoenix, among others.

If you have a concern about a for-profit college's enrollment or placement practices, contact The Googasian Firm, P.C., 1-877-540-8333.

Everest College Recruiter Details Sales Tactics

A news report details a recent court filing in which a former admissions officer at for-profit Everest College asserts that the school instructed recruiters to make prospective students "feel hopeless" and gave recruiters financial incentives for meeting quotas.   This is just another example of the pervasive problem that occurs in the sales-driven "admissions offices" of for-profit institutions, where misrepresentation are frequently made by sales people whose livelihoods depend on meeting enrollment targets.   If you have concerns about what is being said or has been said at a for-profit school you've attended or worked for, feel free to share it with us at The Googasian Firm, 1-877-540-8333.

Education Trust Report Documents Graduation Rate Problems at University of Phoenix

Here is a link to the Education Trust report released this week that has received great public attention.   It documents, among other things, pervasively low six-year graduation rates at the granddaddy of all for-profit colleges, University of Phoenix.   At the Detroit campus, for example, the six-year graduation rate is 9 percent, according to the report.

SF Chronicle Examines For-Profit College Problems

Another nationally recognized newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, has published a story on the plight of students attending for-profit schools, including those at Argosy University and Everest College.

New Study Details Problems with For-Profit College Debt and Graduation Rates

The Newark Star Ledger reports on a new study by the non-profit Education Trust revealing serious problems in for-profit education.   According to the study, "Only one in five students who enrolls in a for-profit college graduates within six years, and they’re likely to rack up far more debt than students at private and public colleges, according to a recent study."  The study also details how for-profit colleges have grown 10 times faster than traditional colleges in the last decade.