ITT Tech abruptly announced Tuesday morning that it is shutting down all of its campuses across the country.
The college made the announcement to students and staff in an email. (see text below)
Arnesa Mundell received the email early Tuesday morning.
"I just cried.. I just cried for a long time," the nursing student said.
She trusted ITT Tech in West Palm Beach with her education because her aunt also pursued a nursing degree at the school.
"I want to be a nurse because she was a nurse, so why not follow in her footsteps and go to the same school," Mundell said.
The 24-year-old said she's almost done with her nursing degree at ITT Tech and now has to explore other options to finish her degree.
Right next door to ITT Tech in West Palm Beach is the Health Career Institute.
Thomas Filippi is the Chief Academic Officer at HCI. He said he saw a lot of upset students outside of ITT Tech on Tuesday.
"It is very disturbing because we're in this to help students achieve their goal and to have companies that just lock the door--It's just heartless," Filippi said.
HCI is helping some of the nursing students from ITT Tech achieve their goals.
"We will definitely assist every student and find out the information we need to assist them."
The U.S. Department of Education created a helpful website for ITT Tech students.
Senator Bill Nelson also addressed the issue. He wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education's Secretary of Education.
In the letter, Senator Nelson said, "I urge your department to work closely with the students enrolled at ITT Tech and keep them fully informed of the company's intentions to reimburse them and provide them access to their transcripts and records so that they can continue their education elsewhere."
ITT email to students
On August 25, the U.S. Department of Education imposed a series of new requirements and conditions on the ITT Technical Institutes, including imposing conditions on our institutions’ continued participation in the federal student financial aid programs that the Department of Education administers. We proposed alternatives to the Department of Education, but they were rejected. Therefore, after evaluating the impact of these new requirements on our institutions, we have made the very difficult decision to discontinue our operations effective immediately at the end of the June 2016 quarter and to cancel the upcoming September quarter that was scheduled to begin Monday, September 12.
At this time, we expect that all students will be able to complete their June 2016 academic quarter. Students attending the ITT Tech campus in Baton Rouge should plan to attend any scheduled classes this week necessary to complete the current academic quarter.
Please know we worked diligently to identify alternatives that would have allowed you to start or continue your education at ITT Tech, and earn your degree. But the Department of Education’s actions have forced us to cease operations at the ITT Technical Institutes. We are truly sorry to have to make this decision, but wanted to communicate it to you as soon as possible so that you can begin deciding the next steps to take that are best for you.
Background
The Department of Education’s August 25 letter imposed a combination of requirements on ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT) that we believe are unprecedented in the history of the Department of Education. They required us to post a letter of credit or other cash deposit with the Department of Education of nearly $250 million, they imposed a freeze on our receipt of Pell Grants and student loans for all our students, and they prohibited us from enrolling any new students who needed any federal grants or loans to finance their education. We proposed alternatives to the Department, including giving us time to sell our schools to another company that would continue your education or conducting an orderly closure of our schools over the course of the September term. Days ago, the Department of Education told us they were rejecting our proposals, and standing by their new requirements.
The Department of Education has told us that the most recent event that caused the Department to place these additional restrictions on ITT was the action by our schools’ accrediting agency, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), to continue the “show cause” directive that ACICS had issued to ITT earlier this year, identifying areas of the ACICS accreditation standards that our schools were not fully in compliance with. ITT has been in extended discussions with ACICS about those issues, and ACICS recently told us that they were satisfied by our responses to some of those issues but that more remained to be done concerning other issues.
The Department of Education has instructed us to inform all students about these ACICS actions and to tell you that the ACICS accreditation standards concerning a “show cause” order state that the “Council determines that [the] institution is not in compliance with the Accreditation Criteria, and is unlikely to become in compliance.” ITT respectfully disagrees with these conclusions and has been working with ACICS to confirm that our ITT Technical Institutes remain worthy of continued accreditation.
ACICS recently informed ITT that we should submit additional information on the open issues and appear before ACICS at its next regular meeting in December to further discuss the schools’ ongoing accreditation. Despite the fact that our schools’ accreditation remains in place and ACICS has not made any final decision about our schools’ ongoing accreditation status, the Department’s actions, as described, above have made it impossible for the ITT Technical Institutes to continue to operate. Otherwise, ITT has been financially sound, had no intention of closing down, and has been responsive to all of the requests of the various regulatory agencies that oversee our schools.
Important Information for You Going Forward
Please be assured that we are committed to keeping you informed about the impact on you of the closure of your school.
To that end, below is some key information to answer, what we imagine are, some of your immediate questions:
How do I see my grades?
You may access your academic record via the Student Portal by clicking this link. Please use your student email and network password to login. We expect to have all grades for the June 2016 quarter updated by Friday, September 9th.
How do I obtain a copy of my official transcript?
You may request a copy of your official transcript via the Student Portal by clicking this link. Please use your student email and network password to login. Graduates may also request an official transcript via the Alumni website by clicking this link.
Will my credits transfer to another institution?
As always, the decision to accept transfer credits is up to the receiving institution. You may view a list of other schools that have entered into articulation agreements with the ITT Technical Institutes at www.itt-tech.edu/articulation. Additionally, we have compiled a list of schools in your area that offer similar programs of study, as well as some institutions offering similar programs online, which you may want to contact. See the following question for a list of schools.
Are there any schools in my area with similar programs of study?
Click here to download a list of schools in your area with programs of study similar to those offered by your school, as well as some institutions offering similar programs online.
When is the last day my campus will be open?
While your campus will be closing immediately at the end of the June quarter, we will continue to provide resources to assist you in obtaining your transcript and other records. Please check the Student Portal by clicking this link for updated information from us about the issues covered in this notice and other important matters. In the near term, you may also email StudentQuestions@itt-tech.edu with questions.
In the future, after the Student Portal is no longer accessible, how do I obtain a copy of my records?
After your campus has closed and the Student Portal is no longer accessible, you will be able to obtain your records and other key contact information at www.itt-tech.edu. This site will house links to request your transcript, education verification, and other information.
Will I have to repay my student loans?
It may be possible for you to discharge your federal student loans and not have to repay them under certain circumstances. For more information about this, please click here.
For additional information on student financial aid and other options available, please also see information provided by the U.S. Department of Education available by clicking here and here.
For additional information on GI Bill benefits, please contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 or visit the GI Bill website by clicking here.
Please know we are extremely disappointed to have to discontinue our operations after more than 50 years of serving students.
We want to thank all of the men and women who have diligently served you throughout your studies at ITT Technical Institute. We, and they, apologize for this unexpected disruption to your education and we sincerely wish you the best as you move forward.
Regards,
ITT Technical Institute
