‘I’m angry times 10 million’: Students react to ITT Tech shutting down all its schools
ITT Technical Institute has shut down all its schools, and the move has left thousands of students unable to move forward in their pursuit of a diploma.
The company that operates the country’s largest for-profit schools blamed the shutdown on the plan by the U.S. Education Department to ban ITT Tech from enrolling any new students who are using federal financial aid. However, students were apparently told that they would be able to finish their degrees even though new students would not be accepted, so the school closures have students understandably upset.
“Two quarters ago there were rumors about the school having problems, but they told us that anyone who was already a student would be allowed to finish,” said Leon Wiggins II.
“Am I angry?” he said. “I’m like angry times 10 million.”
About 35,000 students who were expecting to start classes this month will be affected by the shutdown, with 8,000 people expected to lose their jobs as well.
According to Education Department officials, any students who left the school in the last 120 would be eligible to have their student loans for ITT Tech forgiven if they wanted to start over at a new school. The department will also reportedly be reaching out to students and community colleges around ITT Tech campuses in order to encourage the schools to help ITT Tech students get their credits transferred.
ITT Tech said that the closures were due to unwanted and unwarranted government interference.
“The damage done to our students and employees, as well as to our shareholders and the American taxpayers, is irrevocable,” ITT said.
“We believe the government’s action was inappropriate and unconstitutional, however, with the ITT Technical Institutes ceasing operations, it will now likely rest on other parties to understand these reprehensible actions and to take action to attempt to prevent this from happening again,” the company said.
However, U.S. Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said that the decision was not made lightly and that the department was dedicated to helping students.
“The school’s decisions have put its students and millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded federal student aid at risk,” King said.
We made a difficult choice to pursue additional oversight in order to protect you, other students and taxpayers from potentially worse educational and financial damage in the future if ITT was allowed to continue operating without increased oversight and assurances to better serve students.”
