The lawsuit alleges that Vista College's owners made misrepresentations to boost enrollment, didn't deliver promised education services or provide tuition refunds, and failed to set up plans to have students finish their education elsewhere. Students Blast Virginia College in Fed Court - Courthouse News Service 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. Ferguson says theyre seeking more than just a tuition refund to those students who believe theyre entitled to one. If you are approved for the discharge . The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines, Hawkes Learning Announces Free Virtual Education Summit, Inc. Magazine Ranks TimelyMD Fastest-Growing Company in Fort Worth, 16th in Southwest Region, APUS Continues to Support Students Well-being through Partnership that Enables 24/7 Access to, The Hip Hop Architecture Camp and Bergmeyer Announce 2023 Scholarship + Internship Program, By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our, Dozens of Vista College students who were enrolled at one of the chain's Texas campuses when the for-profit institution abruptly closed earlier this month have joined a proposed class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges the school. COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - When the Vista College campus in College Station abruptly closed its doors for good on October 8th, some former students say they felt a sense of hopelessness in getting back any of the things they sacrificed to attend classes there. We need answers. They wont even call me about my transcripts. According to an online profile assembled by U.S. News & World Report, Vista College in El Paso has an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and offers associate degrees in eight different . Updated: 8:53 PM. Leaving me with student loan payments. The suit was filed in Jefferson County on October 12, where she attended one of the schools campuses using $15,000 in loans to pay for tuition. 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"That number increases by the hour as the students are desperately seeking legal help," Ferguson wrote. Updated: 10:30 PM CDT October 13, 2021 BEAUMONT, Texas Less than a week after Vista College closed its doors, the for-profit college chain has now filed for bankruptcy. "That number increases by the hour as the students are desperately seeking legal help," Ferguson wrote. Ex-student with autism sues O.C. college after he was arrested, pepper A class action lawsuit has been filed against the College Board on behalf of high school students who took a new online version of the AP exam last week and had trouble submitting their answers . Lawsuit filed against Vista College seeks more than $1 million in damages The following Monday, it provided a list of some 1,800 students who were enrolled at the time of the closure. Ms. ****** was not discriminated against. This was a nationally accredited school by both the Council on Occupational Education and the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Update | Vista College When you attend college, the last thing on your mind is falling behind or defaulting on your student loan payments. Ferguson said the defendants are expected to ask the court to block the class-action lawsuit and respond to the complaint. You will need to continue making payments on your student loans until your application has been processed and approved to avoid defaulting on your loans. Students weren't the only ones who were caught off guard by the closure. On Sunday, a lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court against 16 prestigious universities on behalf of five former college students who believe the schools overcharged more than 170,000. Find out the education of Donald Trump. If you attended a school that closed between Nov. 1, 2013- July 1, 2020, the Department of Education will automatically initiate the discharge process. For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from theApple App Storeor theGoogle Play Store. "Any student who was in a medial administrative program at Vista College could potentially get up to 24 credits in our programs," Gonzalez said. The average cost to attend the school varied depending on the field of study and does not include any financial aid grants or scholarships received. We went to the school expecting to get an education, to further our careers and provide for our families, and thats just not the case right now.. Scott Jaschik. Located in Texas, which is a city setting in Texas, the campus itself is Urban. Department Chair of Office Technology Melissa Gonzalez told 6 News programs related to medical coding and billing could easily be transferred to CTC and students could get quite a few credits on that subject. Its going to be wait-and-see and Im going to be very curious to follow the class action lawsuit that the students are engaging in and I think thats something that we as instructors need to think about, said Beavers. That month, Vista College founder and CEO Jim Tolbert also, that the decision to stop enrolling new students was meant to ensure the chain would have enough resources to help existing students "get exactly what they paid for. Ive taught in the business classes, IT classes, medical classes and HVAC classes, said Don Beavers of Snook. These students did not enter into this agreement to get half, three-quarters, or a third of their education. All they want to do is get an education.. Vista notified students they may be eligible for closed-school loan discharges, which allow students to have their debts forgiven if their college closed while they were enrolled or shortly after they withdrew. Immediately after returning to her program in September 2019, Ms. ****** exhibited behaviors that contributed to her lack of success. How To Get Student Loan Forgiveness For Nurses. Time is a valuable thing. Northwest Vista College. BEAUMONT/KILLEEN, Texas - Two Beaumont law firms are filing a lawsuit against Vista College. Low 54F. I've tried to contact Vista several times by phone. I also was bullied for being gay and the teacher denied my accommodation letter signed by my school and doctors stating i need help. We should not be left with no answers. It just popped up and its like you forgot about us and left us high and dry, said Yolanda Beavers. She did not comply with attendance requirements, missing 39% of the scheduled class. Bakery Litigation: 10 Key Facts - Oberlin College and Conservatory "These students did not enter. #studentlo, Visit link in bio to learn more. I was definitely feeling hopeless at the time, Wilkins said. . Vista Shadow Mountain apartments vacated, class-action lawsuit filed Students who graduated from Vista College were repaying around $113-$254 per month on a 10-year student loan repayment plan. "However, the Department is working with accrediting and state agencies to identify teach-out locations for the impacted students.". "Because this closure was sudden, the institution had no teach-out agreements in place," the spokesperson wrote. They instructors and staff department took out multiple loans in our names and lied to us telling us the programs where longer than they were and cost more than it did to get the money form financial aid in our names and they have been attempting to go to even further extinct as in destroying our personal life's if some students found out or talked about what was going on. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. California Northstate students allege fraud - Sacramento Business Journal FILE The Pulaski County Courthouse is shown in this 2019 file photo. We still dont have any answers to this day and a lot of us are pursuing other careers because we didnt have any other opportunities, said Alexis Cruz, a former student. It seeks monetary relief totaling more than $1 million, including for tuition refunds and out-of-pocket expenses. Student Loan Forgiveness Biden to Cancel More Loans. The facility occupies 25,800 square feet of space and consists of multiple lecture rooms, medical and dental laboratories, computer labs . Ive talked to some who say they havent been paid what they are owed after the College Station campus closed. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. KILLEEN, Texas - Many students received an email on Friday saying Vista College is closing their doors for good, leaving many students concerned about what's going to happen to their credits. Stockholm County - Travel guide at Wikivoyage Loss of Accreditation Made Virginia College Degrees 'Worthless,' Class Vista College ownership claims to have between $10 million to $50 million in estimated assets, according to a bankruptcy filing. I worked very hard and diligently to obtain this degree. In an email to students, the college said it was closing at the end of the business day Friday . Both attorneys that were a part of the lawsuit, they were wanting to take 70% of the claims and for me it just didnt seem beneficial, said Cruz. All rights reserved. I called helmet the loan was dispersed Oct 11, 2018. On Friday, Vista College, a for-profit school similar to those owned by Education Corporation of America, released a statement encouraging former Brightwood and Virginia College students to set up . There are seven campuses five in Texas Beaumont, El Paso, College Station, Killeen, and Longview, one in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and one in Las Cruces, New Mexico. If Ms. ******* wishes to resolve this, we encourage her to contact ***************@vistacollege.edu to answer her questions directly, and to provide clarity about her financial account history.