We are both in collections at this point and on payment plans. Hello Thank you soo much for creating this page and all the hard work you are doing . Unfortunately, no, you wont be able to get assistance with your Private Loans via BDAR. They told me that was perfect anyway because I could receive grant money which would help pay for my classes. In 2018, the AG's Office filed a lawsuit alleging, among other things, that NEIA and Education Management Corporation (EDMC) violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act by misrepresenting the likelihood of job placement to prospective students in order to induce enrollment. However, they agreed to pay almost $200 million dollars, which is basically as good as admitting their guilt, and which you can use for your Borrowers Defense argument. The BDAR letters used to have to be hand written, and it was much more complicated, but theyve streamlined things significantly. I remember being excited to attend the school because they came into our High School promoting in our Art Classes that they have one of the highest job success rates after graduation and that they help students find work with credible employers looking for graduates in those degrees I went for. The Federal Government wont help anyone who has defaulted on their loans. And then if that doesnt work, Id try to use Borrowers Defense to Repayment to see if that one may get you a refund. The New England Institute of Art South University Western State University College of Law Education Affiliates (JLL Partners) All-State Career School Fortis College Fortis Institute Edudyne Systems Career Point College Empire Education Group Empire Beauty School Everglades College Everglades University Keiser University FastTrain FastTrain I had dropped out of high school because of family illnesses and had planned to get my GED until the recruiter I was working with, which I dont remember the name of and cannot find the paperwork for (may have been thrown out during a garage flood or lost between 3 moves since then plus i worked with 3 separate recruiters in a 6 month span for that school) pushed for me to go to a scam school which he, and they, claimed was an actual school and would give me a fast diploma and my mother and i fell for it. I also wanted to add that I did file for bankruptcy almost 10 years ago and that did not apply to those loans as the lawyer said they were not eligible through Sallie Mae. I was overcharged for amounts that far exceed what I can pay and with poor results/skills. (I had to start all over because none of the classes were transferable) The Ai school I went to closed down as well, but I had been gone about two years prior. Did they lie to you about something? To be clear, I suggest that EVERYONE applying for BDAR spend a bit of time playing with the Internet Archives Wayback Machine, looking at old versions of the schools website from around the time that they started thinking about applying for the school. I need to prove that the school didnt refund the $. I called and they told me to reach out again in a month this was August 2018. I even asked them to send me the Art Institute issued bill with all of my information on it. I found information that final day of attendance must have been between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2014. Thanks again and good luck! The Art Institute misled me into believing I was going to get a high paying job that would easily cover my loans. Hello Tim and thank you for your article and useful information! I attended in the late 90s early 2000s, so Im not sure if I can qualify for forgiveness, but Im going to try. It has been over a year and a half since graduation and while he diligently searches daily for (and has applied for) any and every job he can find in his chosen field and has not had even a single interview to date. That promise that youd graduate making over $50,000 a year, is basically a slam-dunk case for a Borrowers Defense Discharge. I ended up taking out 2 loans in the amount of around $4000 and my parents took out a parent plus loan for around $13,000. I was unable to find work, so I was unable to make payments to my Federal and Private, which led me to continue placing my loans on deferment and forbearance. And can you explain how it impacted your decision to borrow money to attend the school? I was limited to no experience in design and marketing, I could not find a job that I qualified for. I just feel cheated. BROOKLINE, MA Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healeys office filed a lawsuit Monday against The New England Institute of Art, which was based in Brookline Village near the corner of Washington Street and Rt. As a former Art Institute student, ask yourself if any of these things happened to you. Would this also be under a school closing type of form? I am in the process of trying to get this loan discharged, but my loan provider needs more information from me to get this loan discharged, and using my deafness to get out of this loan. my girl friend went to south coast college of courting report 40k in 2000 know owes 56k never got a job in orange city in orange county bunch of liers, Thats not necessarily the schools fault wed need to know much more about your girlfriend, what she was promised, why she hasnt been able to get a job, etc. The loan has been on deferment for the last few years because we cannot afford to make the payments. What an amazing person you are to take this much time to help those of us who are so distraught! Do you think is a chance for me to get my money back? I paid out of pocket there. You need to pick one or the other. The Art Institute Lawsuit The company that owns the Art Institutes, Educational Management Corporation, was accused of violating US consumer protection laws, and in 2015, they agreed to forgive up to $103 million in student loan debt. I cant get anyone on the phone at the fort lauderdale so i have to call another art institute for help. I think youll be able to win an approval for a Discharge if you can make it clear that you were tricked, swindled, defrauded by that data. AG Healey Accuses Brookline Art College Of Fraud In Lawsuit Ouch. Please advise. Dont bother with BDAR. The Art Institute of California Inland Empire 630 East Brier Drive San Bernardino Ca 92408 (909) 915-2100 http://www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire/ (school closed, phone disconnected, website not active) 1. How do I provide documentation on that? Again, I think the odds are like 95% that you will not get a refund, but Id try it anyway. Hello, I attended the art institute of Pittsburgh from 2006 to 2010, I went into there special effect program. Because of this change, which no one at the school could really explain to me in depth, I had to repeat classes that I had already taken. In a letter sent to the Board that year, the AGs Office asked that it prohibit NEIA from its proposed plan to transfer its teach-out obligations to an organization in New Delhi. Our opinions are our own. Im going to create a Guide on Parent PLUS Loans now that I know for certain they can be discharged too. I tried filling out the application and Im trying to figure out how to word my answers in the questionnaire they provide. Thank you. I am unable to transfer these credits to any college, I also dont even have a valid high school diploma. they assured me that all of their graduates made a ton of money (average starting salary around 36k) and I wouldnt even owe much because of all the free money for grants. I was also a dumb 19 year old at the time so i was pretty denseand i suspect they did not really care. You might be able to find some good hard evidence of misleading claims. Is there anyway to know for sure. HOWEVER, you may still be eligible for a Borrowers Defense to Repayment Discharge, so I would look into the details of that program and see what you can come up with there. I think something like mid-June would work, but provide the year for sure as well. Had My School Not Misled Me, I Would Not have Borrowed Money: I was promised a legit high school diploma, and guaranteed a $40-65 dollar an hour paying job. 2019 closing. If I was told up front the total cost of my education I would have backed out right away. I can however request a transcript that shows that the program was not accredited. I brought a class action lawsuit against them in 2012. This was almost 8 years ago and I dont have any documents or proof of what happened. It was a bait and switch in my mind because I was not told about a specialist program until I finished my masters! I did find work after graduation (one of 4 that did out of 36) and that was because a friend helped me out. Hi, My son son attended the Art Instiute of Charlotte, and has closed. The loan amount was for 9k and Has doubled since then due to me as a single parent struggling to make payments etc. Before attending I was allowed to enter an Art Innovation poster competition- which I won first place and was granted $3000 towards my tuition. The recruiter told us that all of the student get jobs paying over $30,000, so that the money we take out in loans shouldnt be a problem later on. The EDMC, which owns the Art Institute, is also a defendant. Keep checking back on this page for further updates. Sorry to hear about your issues. Thank you so much for all of the information!! Good luck! This was the Art Institute of Phx. The school had a total enrollment of 94 and the student to faculty ratio was 4 to 1. Look at the versions of their site from around when you were first considering applying there. If You Went To These Schools, You May Qualify For Student Loan - Forbes If he consolidated Federal debt with Private debt, then you may be out of luck, but as long as all the loans were Federal going into the consolidation, you are probably still eligible. Several times I was told by the idiot job placement advisor that I should start with unpaid internships, and suggested to me several places where I could work as a SECRETARY, and not a designer to make connections. On the very first day of school I went downstairs, completely distraught because one of the expert instructions (an unknown graphic designer whose only real talent was in typography) said that people who were interested in becoming illustrators, or comic book artists were in the wrong program. I told one of the office people who worked in recruiting this and said, I really dont think this is right for me. She sweet- talked me into continuing with the promise of a future making more than $80,000 a year, promised that I would get a job by inflating the number of students who gets jobs even higher than 80% so she could keep me on the hook. The strongest argument you have so far is the 100% job placement, which may be enough, all on its own, to qualify, but Id try to make this case even stronger if you can find something else as well. Be sure to check that out.. Im not sure what years you attended but go back to the beginning of the snapshots they have saved and check out the career services pages. I took 2 quarters off. I called AI and was told I had a $3000 balance on my account and thats why it was being withheld. My question is about our loans we took out on his behalf through Great Lakes which have grown to over $100,000. Betsy DeVos is derailing these for-profit school students' lawsuit. Seems like your comment got cut off early? While in default, can I file and receive student loan forgiveness under the Borrowers Defense Against Repayment Program, or do I need to get out of default first in order to qualify? Hello, I currently have Fedloan as a Parent Plus loan and a Nelnet Loan. The Biden administration has canceled student loan debt for borrowers who attended a handful of for-profit colleges. Final day of attendance wont apply to BDAR and is only relevant for a Closed School Discharge Application, so youre good no matter when your final day was if youre pursuing the BDAR discharge. Hi Tim! It was hell and crazy, I was mislead and told that I would get a refund of around $6,000 because the school was closing early without a longer warning so they would discount my quarter by 50% meaning that Id have left over financial aid money that I could take home and apply to my student loans. I have been paying these off for 10 years and i still owe over 60k. At the time I was commuting from Connecticut to NYC and had arrived late to the same class more than once and later was advised and convinced to take out a loan ($12,000) to live in student housing which was only about 20 mins away in Brooklyn. My son is now in the military but the loans in my name. Im hoping its temporary. I dont even remember the recruiters name, it was back in 2012 when I attended. Youll need to speak with an attorney about all this lawsuit stuff. I missed that law suite. Borrowers Defense Discharges work for ANY school, but youll definitely need a better argument for why you deserve to have the loans forgiven. US Gov Sues The Art Institutes for $11 Billion Fraud That school closed not long after. You were actively a student at the school when it shut down, so youll be able to get full forgiveness for your loan! The Supreme Court of the United States announced on Monday, May 1, 2023 that it will take the case, which stems from a lawsuit by a group of fishermen who want to stop the federal government from . Check out that section of my Guide and see if any of the issues mentioned there apply to you. Is there an option for us? I noticed even more than they would change the jargon of the syllabus description of the class slightly and that equaled their new/you have to take this to graduate curriculum. I did a bit of research and I stumbled on your site. Yes, youd need two separate BDAR Discharge Applications to get both loans forgiven. If you have any insight as to how I can describe this in my claim I would greatly appreciate it. And I was a student with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division. It was from 2010-2014. I attended the AI of Ft Lauderdale in 95. Records held: Lincoln College of New England, 2279 Mount Vernon Road, Southington, CT 06489 Phone: 860-628-4751 http://www.lincolncollegene.edu/forms/registrar/transcript_request_form.pdf BRYANT AND STRATTON Address (es): Boston, MA Accreditation: never accredited by NEASC Action: closed 1975 Let me know if either of you have any updates. I definitely remember feeling taken advantage of since I was fresh out of high school with high hopes for my future career. However, I would still TRY to apply for the Closed School Discharge Program if I were you, hoping that it will include a refund. I am furious and at a complete loss on where to start. I have no paperwork and never had any, because all I did is confirm her address. I eventually after some weeks, dropped out and wasted my GI BILL Post 9/11 . I was lied to about the job placement percentage. I attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale 1985-6. That hed be able to find a specific job role or title, or management position? Can we apply through the same programs, as I took out those loans based on the false information and promises from AIP? So, Im sure he would qualify for loan forgiveness. This means that the federal government or debt collection companies will stop attempting to collect on the loans, including by not withholding money from your wages or income tax refunds. I also wanted to ask if he would still be eligible even though he recently consolidated his federal loans? I first applied online- met with a representative named Rachel who, similar to other stories, also promised immediate job placement upon graduating. If you were promised these things, then you deserve to receive an approval. I dont think this is enough to get an approval the school saying theyd help with finding a job is a pretty open-ended promise. They didnt promise you that a percentage of their graduates finish, they didnt promise you a set salary, they didnt even promise that your credits would be eligible for transferring. Hi Tim, I attended The Art Institute of California and graduated in 2008. I have brief emails from the Assistant admissions director when we first set up the information meeting and can also provide her name, that is all i really have though. Those attorneys were just looking out for themselves Im sure they made out like bandits, taking something like 40-60% of the multi-million dollar settlement, while you all got a pittance. 5. Attorney General Martha Coakley investigating more than 12 for-profit They were quite misleading about employment prospects and their job placement assistance was of little help the best moment being when, despite my actual field of study, I was given a lead to a job dressing mannequins. But I do remember the conversations. What do you think though? Youll need to discuss the specific lawsuit involving the school too, but remember that because the Art Institute agreed to pay out nearly $200 million it will be relatively easy for you to prove that they misled you via false advertising; you just need to explain exactly what they did and how it impacted your decision to attend the school. To do this, many or all of the products featured here may be from our partners. The lawsuit is a class action suit against EDMC for violating consumer protection laws. I would like to know how it turns out for you guys, we are in the same boat here in California. I had a combination of federal loans, Sally Mae, and a private student loan through Chase. Thanks for being one of the trailblazers because your work is definitely helping THOUSANDS of other borrowers out now! I borrowed this money without hesitation being young, trusting and ignorant. Im working on my application and havent found anyone else who attended the same campus as I did that is working on this. To get help with Federal loans, check out my pages on Federal Student Loan Relief, Federal Loan Forgiveness, Federal Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharges, Federal Loan Consolidation Programs and Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans. In this article, Im going to explain the qualifications for receiving Art Institute loan forgiveness and Ill also provide you with details on how to apply for the benefits mentioned above. If so, you can use this illegal behavior as your reason for filing a Borrowers Defense Claim, stating that it was this illegal activity that convinced you to borrow money to attend the school. And because the Art Institute has clearly violated many laws, anyone who took out a student loan to attend one of their schools is basically automatically eligible for the Borrowers Defense Against Repayment program, which offers complete student loan forgiveness. The Department will forgive 100 percent of all loan balances, refund prior loan. If you were really told that all of the students get jobs paying over $30,000, then you will DEFINITELY get approval for a BDAR Discharge. My husband went to Art Institute of Atlanta and was lured into applying for their financial aid, promised his dream career of being on air on radio by following their program. Hi Tim, Thank you so much for the information youve provided. Hi this article is awesome !! I attended the Art Institute of Atlanta in the mid-90s. About 5 months after graduating I still hadnt received my actual degree (Associates in Occupational Studies)- I called some of my former classmates who informed me they had just received theirs, some were still waiting. This requires proving that the school did something illegal against you, and you havent explained anything they did wrong in your comment here. That I didnt have a job and had 3 children under the age of 5 at home and cant afford and wont be able to pay back a loan. If you can find a good student loan lawyer, come back and give me their contact information. Anything other than the things that these schools have been getting taken to task for is pie in the sky. What Should You Do With Your Old FFELP Loans? No one is going to forgive loans because of bad teachers, for example. Looking at the BDAR eligibility because I graduated in 2015 from AI Cincinnati. Since then, I have consolidated the loan and have been trying to make payments. The college has bachelor's programs in advertising, audio and media technology, digital film-making and video . When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Sorry, but I dont do personal consultations. I remember the brochures talked about their job success ratings, helping students find work during attendance and after graduation which they didnt. The fine print said the 120 days was waived if the school closing was due to unusual circumstances, so he applied. Most people dont have anything written that proves they were defrauded. I feel like my best bet is bringing up standards of quality since thats mostly what I have a case built up for. I read the guidelines for the Closed School discharge, and think I actually can apply for it. In 2022, the Art Institute was one of 153 institutions included in student loan cancellation due to alleged fraud. Hey Tim! VICE Money talked to former students of a for-profit college known as the New England Institute of Art, who are hoping to file a class-action lawsuit aimed at having their outstanding. That would be me. I was then told that there were no funds at the time (yes they actually told me this) to grant those $3000 and for that reason they wouldnt give me my degree unless I paid. -Lost in atlanta. Good question, but this may unfortunately be one of those fringe cases where youre basically out of luck. Correct? They also talked about all the other amenities they would offer to help him succeed. Nearly all NEIA students incurred substantial debt to pay the schools steep tuition and fees, yet upon graduation, most have been unable to secure employment in their field of study and/or have been consistently underemployed, the lawsuit said. i went into default in 2000 and in 2001 I worked my way Out of default at which time they consolidated my loans. Borrowers are. Yeah, youre going to have to remember more details than what you outlined here. Im hoping to get out from under this felt for an education I didnt get! Its tough, but the more info you can provide the better. If you are eligible for the program and your application for the Borrowers Defense Against Repayment is filled out correctly then you will qualify to have your student loans discharged and any payments you have already made toward the loan may even get refunded. They may have changed the rules on this. For-Profit College Company to Pay $95.5 Million to Settle Claims of New England Institute of Art's parent company also faces a whistle-blower suit involving the US Justice Department and 11 states, including Massachusetts, alleging the firm illegally gave. I graduated a long time before any of this happened. Cristian Rossel. During my car accident recovery, I had a very difficult time financially. As of September 2022, ED says it has now approved $14.5 billion in debt discharges for nearly 1.1 million borrowers through this process. 1st guy told me $800.00, the next guy told $1,200.00-$1,500.00. This program is for students of schools that closed before they could finish their degree. Like you mentioned there are a lot of scammers. For help with PRIVATE Student Loans: Call McCarthy Law PLC at 1-877-317-0455. My son attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh & I know we were mislead about his job prospects and the help he would receive obtaining employment after graduation. Where can I find and what else do I need to have the best chance at getting approved ed and where do I find it all? Or would you have some other idea that might help us? And that these fake rates were the deciding factor that convinced me to take out a loan to attend the school as well as get my parents to assist with Parent Plus Loans, do you think I could win my case as well as my parents?
