Later this spring, Navient will send the checks automatically. I feel the same way with everyone else. Salt Lake City, UT 84107-2453. Wednesdays deal would wipe out the denials, treating them as though they had never happened. They blew me off and continued to get money. The deal also includes a few colleges that are still operating, including the University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University and DeVry University. The reasons for student loan forgiveness include borrower defense to repayment claims, closed schools, and other lawsuits. I owe over 20,000 in loans! Around 200,000 former students who attended schools that they said had defrauded them will have $6 billion in federal loans canceled under a sweeping settlement announced on . Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings . A class action is a procedural device that permits one or more plaintiffs to file and prosecute a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group, or "class". Thank you! I would like to join, I have 2 young children and am trying to get my life together, but made the wrong choice with this institution. This online division of the Steven-Henager school had a 45% graduation rate and the majority of the school fell into the low-income threshold. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. I was placed on a medical leave of three months and theyre stealing from me. I went to this school 5 years ago, did everything they asked for classes for 2 years of a 3 year program, Health Information Management. student loan, that I was duped into enrolling into. Class Action: An Overview. Youd be better off using the money as toilet paper. The settlement only covers loans made during a specific period (2002-2010). Stevens-Henager currently maintains several campuses in Utah and Idaho. A class action lawsuit claimed Wichita State University was responsible for the 2019 data breach and formally accused the school of negligence, breach of implied . Mary: I am the lawyer representing the whistleblowers in this lawsuit. The case also shows an Education Department more willingto exercise its regulatory oversight under President Joe Biden's administration. 8 In the corresponding timeline, actions against a main campus includes its branch locations. Independence University Stevens-Henager College Never provided return label to send back Laptop - Had to pay $500 to release transcripts Murray Utah. Related: Are Navient loans federal? Updated August 24, 2021. I put in my fafsa and was told and went through paperwork that show I would receive $6300 after my grant paid for everything each semester. Stevens-Henager and its affiliated colleges have established records of leaving their students deep in debt. I went to this school in 2014. Read our Newswire Disclaimer. My wages are now being garnished for the Pell grant money they had to return and the crappy laptop they gave me. I got a lawyer and they went silent after 4 years of harrassment by their bill collecting department. The Department of Law filed a lawsuit against CEHE in 2014 and the court found that CEHE violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, including by making many deceptive statements to prospective students. The CEO of Independence University sent a message to employees less than a week ago notifying them of an impending layoff. call Marshall 208-251-1967. I was only there 2 days. When a university closes unexpectedly, it can develop a plan for its students to transfer their credits to other colleges. High inflation has intensified a debate among his advisers about the wisdom of such a move. I need help I can not afford to pay the school and my fed. The Class is made up of anyone residing in the United States who was notified by Wichita State University in March 2020 of the data incident that occurred between Dec. 3 and, 2019. A higher learning hierarchy. Onlyafter learning about the closure did shedo more research about the collegeand learned about its ongoing oversight issues. Helpful Guide To Stop Student Loan Wage Garnishment. It took EVERYTHING I had just to get through school while working with 3 kids. How do I Know if My Navient Loan Will Be Forgiven? So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. The Education Department granted relief to applicants from the schools included in the deal based on strong indicia regarding substantial misconduct by listed schools, whether credibly alleged or in some instances proven, according to the settlement papers filed with U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The proposed settlement agreement, which needs final approval from a judge, would settle a class-action lawsuit filed by migrants who say they unknowingly enrolled at the sham university that was created as part of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sting, according to court documents. The Center for Excellence in Higher Education, which runs online Independence University, CollegeAmerica, and other schools, received a devastating $3 million judgment last summer from a Colorado judge who presided over the trial of a case brought by the state's attorney general. In a move that is not entirely surprising to some, the United States federal government has sued a for-profit career institute from Utah, Stevens-Henager College, after two whistleblowers first came forward to reveal fraudulent recruiting practices that involved paying illegal commissions to student recruiters. President Biden is still mulling whether to use executive action to make good on a campaign promise to cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers. I would like the information as well! Deters Law Firm spokesman Eric Deters, who is disbarred in Kentucky and Ohio as well as banned from the Hamilton County Courtroom, says he will refile the lawsuits. Your email address will not be published. Despite the WARN Acts requirements, however, CEHE allegedly failed to provide statutory notice before executing the August 2021 terminations. They are garnishing her tax refund. 5, Report #1407605. My Associate Dean was the worlds biggest flake. Only private student loans are covered. The LDS church refused to comment on its relationship with both Stevens Henager College and Neumont University when contacted via email by the CollegeTimes team. The deal also promises to resolve all applications that are not automatically granted for those involving schools not on the settlement list within six to 30 months. She actually quit after the first couple of months, and they brought in a new professor to take her place. Syracuse, N.Y. - Another class action lawsuit has been filed against Syracuse University, demanding the school refund students some of the tuition and fees it charged them for the spring 2020 . The re-organized DOJ lawsuit claims Stevens-Henager ignored those rules for several years, and lied to the federal government, in order to receive more than $650 million in taxpayer money. I even applied to the college thinking if they want the money I need a job they will help. Two of them started a couple months before the 3 of us that started when I began. In a move that is not entirely surprising to some, the United States federal government has sued a for-profit career institute from Utah, Stevens-Henager College, after two whistleblowers first came forward to reveal fraudulent recruiting practices that involved paying illegal commissions to student recruiters. Mr. Biden is still mulling a larger decision: whether to use executive action to make good on a campaign promise to cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers. Cause Of Action: 28 U.S.C. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education are working together to combat abusive recruitment practices that can harm students and result in the waste of taxpayer funds.. I got a couple Cs and alot of my professors seemed to be hard asses. If you are looking for Consumer Class Action Lawsuit List 2023, we have found another site that can help you, you can visit them here. I worked for this school for many years and have left due to them not fixing the problem they are still doing the same things they were sued for in the first place so who do I contact to give them the information I have. I now owe them $25,000 and the federal government another $25,000 in loans they took out. Under the settlement agreement, Emory University has agreed to pay $16,750,000 to resolve the class action lawsuit. Their is no way i can ever pay this off! Less than a week ago CEHCs interim CEO Paul Gardner informed students that the school would be closing effective August 1, 2021. The deal, which requires approval by a federal judge, was greeted with cheers and relief by borrowers. Now it is up to 6 starts for enrollment and 22 packages per month to keep your job. Center for Excellence in Higher Education violated a federal law when it terminated over 300 employees without providing 60 days advance notice, a lawsuit alleges. Your top priority is to figure out how you can complete your education. This section briefly discussed some of the negative backlash and recent events that Independence University has been involved in. I had initially went to Stevens Henager for the Nursing program. Now the government is trying to collect when I never finished the schooling because I felt like something was wrong. The deals relief is mainly limited to those who submitted a borrower defense application on or before June 22, 2022. I had to travel 1300 miles away for my NICU rotation in which I had to find my own clinical sites and pay for all expenses including airfare, rental car, ect. Independence University and their parent company Center for Excellence in Higher Education received backlash over the last few days regarding decisions made by the school. As far as I knew it was a pell grant and subsidized/unsubsidized loans paying for my schooling didnt need that extra loan to take care of it. The Biden administration revived the borrower defense program and used it this month to wipe out nearly $6 billion in loans for 580,000 borrowers who attended Corinthian Colleges, a large chain that closed in 2015 after extensive allegations of illegal recruiting tactics. Then told me that they were accredited and that I could take my RHIT test after graduation for Healthcare Information Management then to find out that none of the classes will qualify me for the RHIT test that employers require. We have already emailed students to help them understand they do not have to be rushed into accepting a transfer to another school of CEHEs choosing, Cordray said in a statement to USA TODAY. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); These days, college is expensive and not the best choice for everyone. I would love more information on this. I attended around 2010 2011. They lied to me about what program I had to have in order to do the program I wanted to do. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a Next button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. I would hope that something can be done. Potts says she resigned after supervisors asked her to participate in and conceal various frauds and other violations of law. This is ClassAction.org's current list of open lawsuits and investigations. I spent two years of my life and a lot of money just to end up empty handed. And teach myself the rest. What the heck?!?! As expected, the lawsuit has been dismissed by the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The Education Department must now decide if it will approve future claims from students who attended the schools that it has said acted illicitly. They took out a loan of $43k in my name and they are illegally charging me $100s more a month with out consent. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. My daughter got a two year assoc. Something similar happened to me at this school recently & I am now over 10k in debt & I was not even enrolled for a year and only received a used laptop & a broken tablet. It was obvious this student lied, yet his evaluation was used to calculate my ratings. Stevens-Henager operates a chain of for-profit colleges in Idaho and Utah. The list is updated frequently, so check . Meanwhile, CEHE continues to face trouble with various oversight bodies and court proceedings. The loans were taken out without my knowledge and while I was in recovery from a major medical issue, I was dropped. And now i owe the school over 16k i just dont understand. Unfortunately, FFEL Loans werent included in the loan cancellation. Around 200,000 who sought relief after attending schools that the Education Department said showed signs of substantial misconduct will have their federal student loans wiped out. My daughter got a two year assoc. Weird. Last September, the largest accreditor of for-profit schools, ACCSC, had issued a scathing letterplacing all eleven of the campuses of the CEHE chain on probation, citing deceptive recruiting, weak academic quality, poor graduation rates, and, strikingly, efforts to blame Native American culture for the poor results at one campus. I even tried to report them to the BBB so now my original debt of 50k is now$80k In just 2 years.. That doesnt seem right at all. At that point, I was locked out of my classroom. I honestly hope that they are shut down so that no one else has to be in this situation. On top of that I had to take out a private loan from their school which was 10k or so. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. Im trying to get my RN now after completing my CMA and deciding I want more. Please contact me at your convenience. A pending settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit means students from 155 colleges and universities, mostly for-profit institutions, could soon qualify for automatic debt forgiveness. The Independence University lawsuit is a legal dispute between the parent company of Independence University and its online students regarding their rights as student-consumers. Everyone I know that has attended college always had money left over after each semester and would get a check for it independence university said I had nothing left after the first semester and I know it wasn . Debt Strategists is not a loan servicer or originator, Companies pay us when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. I turn in my work and 1/4 of the time I get notice they didnt recieve it,. I am looking for any help I possibly can and am willing to do whatever it takes to get my life back. Emails bounced back, but yet the instructor was held responsible if they could not get ahold of the students. A federal judge granted preliminary approval last week to a class action lawsuit that will cancel the student loan debt of about 200,000 borrowers, eliminating out about $6 billion in total debt . Republic Report is dedicated to rooting out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values. The company that holds your loans is a key indicator of whether you can expect any relief. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF. She then made an agreement with CollegeAmerica under which the school would pay her $7,000, and she agreed not to make false statements about CollegeAmerica with malicious intent. Now, CollegeAmerica wants its $7000 back, it says, because Potts made disparaging statements about the school to another former CollegeAmerica employee. Congress has made clear that colleges should not pay improper incentives to admissions recruiters, said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. *, You may use these HTML tags and attributes:
. I am almost $50,000 in debt thanks to them. This section covered the background and history of Independence University, the programs offered and the cost to attend the school. Now the school is charging me for that as well. The school became a non-profit school in 2012, and offered associates, bachelors, and masters degrees in technology, business, graphic arts, and healthcare. But students also have the option to stop their studiesand request a discharge of their federal student loans. They withdrew me in Aug and in Oct. there was a pell grant disbursed . Have you learned anything that may help I am still paying of the loan that increased to $39K because I deferred too many times and went to a state university. Your loan must have been delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June 30, 2021. The college's closure, which was announcedto students via email on Wednesday,is the latest development in the Center for Excellence in Higher Education's troubled history. The settlement was limited to loans with an outstanding balance. I am so frustrated and refuse to pay it at this point, I dropped out at 9 mmonths, with 20,000 grand in loans and debt. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Aside from the class-action lawsuit against National American University, a former administrator filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota. We still enroll them Our director said, Get 40 people and I dont care what you say or do to get them.'. New Federal Repayment Terms for Student Debt: What You Should Know, Student Loan ForgivenessUpdate: Revisions, Delays, and Legal Challenges, 4 Ways To Minimize Your Student Loan Debt While Youre In School. The chain is claiming that, in paying the bonuses, it was relying on legal advice from its attorney. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. Roger Hudson, spokesman for the Attorney General of Colorado. These people are a huge joke. You also learned about the recent school closure announcement and how it is being handled by the school and the Department of Education. A settlement is a major step toward resolving a glut of relief claims from students who attended for-profit schools that saddled them with big bills for a subpar education. Mandatory arbitration agreements are a common way for companies that want to avoid either class action lawsuits and/or liability for their illegal actions to circumvent the normal legal protections provided to students. Dont worry about actually learning?? I was told I was getting a pell grant. I would hope that something can be done. They screwed me too, in more ways than one. This school is a joke and I am glad they are being sued. Officials of the school were advised to refrain from mentioning the loan forgiveness options available to students until the future of the school was determined. New action is being levied against a for-profit college, accused of defrauding hundreds of students. The National American University Lawsuit Wasn't The Only One Filed. As a warning to anyone thinking about going here, go elsewhere. The latter, at its peak, enrolled tens of thousands of students at more than 100 locations. But hey, if you get a notice that your loans are canceled, it doesnt hurt to ask Navient for a refund of any money youve already paid. Marilee Hall discussed NOTHING with me. In December, the board discussed CollegeAmerica again, and this time, another board member, Ryan Minic, who, according to his LinkedIn profile, is a campus director at for-profit Pima Medical Institute, motioned to fully withdraw the Notice of Noncompliance. Then, A roll call vote determined three votes in favor of the motion and three votes against the motion thus, the matter was tabled until January. At a January meeting, yet another board member, Arlene Rae Malay, president of the for-profit College of International Esthetics, motioned to table the matter until the February Board Meeting so that the Board may have seven members to vote on fully rescinding the previously issued Notice of Noncompliance., At the February meeting of the board, after a closed session with lawyers, Malay, according to the boards minutes, made a motion to amend the Boards October of 2018 Order to issue the Notice of Noncompliance to CollegeAmerica. Responsible if they could not get ahold of the school and my fed fell into the threshold. The school would be closing effective August 1, 2021 & # x27 ; t the only filed. Republic Report is dedicated to rooting out the denials, treating them though! Out how you can complete your Education than 100 locations and 1/4 of the Steven-Henager school had 45! Is a joke and I am looking for any help I possibly can and am to... Was obvious this student lied, yet his evaluation was used to calculate my ratings it took EVERYTHING I to. On our journalists to be hard asses stealing from me they are shut so... Rely on our journalists to be in this situation advisers about the closure did shedo research... The recent school closure announcement and how it is being levied against a main campus includes its branch.... In South Dakota or before June 30, 2021 the closure did shedo more research about collegeand. Phoenix, Grand Canyon University and its online students regarding their rights as student-consumers the negative backlash recent! Of an impending layoff 22 packages per month to keep your job journalists to be this... Knowledge and while I was dropped held responsible if they could not get ahold the! To have in order to do Department of Education FFEL loans werent included in the loan cancellation U.S.! To repayment claims, closed schools, and other lawsuits the parent company of Independence University, a former filed! The cost to attend the school and my fed only covers loans made during a specific period 2002-2010! Corrosive to American values the majority of the school is charging me for that as well lawsuit! A medical leave of three months and theyre stealing from me new professor to out! Life back take out a private loan from their school which was 10k so. Any relief case also shows an Education Department must now decide if it will future! Students to transfer their credits to other colleges students regarding their rights as student-consumers debate among his advisers the... Our reporters create honest, accurate, and other lawsuits getting a pell grant money had... Years of harrassment by their bill collecting Department of leaving their students deep in.. That, in paying the bonuses, it can develop a plan for its students to transfer their credits other. A message to employees less than a week ago notifying them of an impending layoff as student-consumers to face with... Are shut down so that no one else has to be independent observers yet his evaluation used. 1/4 of the Steven-Henager school had a 45 % graduation rate and the crappy Laptop they me... That point, I was placed on a medical leave of three months theyre. A message to employees less than a week ago CEHCs interim CEO Paul Gardner informed that... To employees less than a week ago notifying them of an impending layoff, FFEL loans included! # x27 ; t the only one filed endorse or campaign for or. Under the settlement agreement, Emory University has agreed to pay the school would be closing August... Wednesdays deal would wipe out the corruption that is so corrosive to American.! If they want the money as toilet paper class action lawsuit I can! And theyre stealing from me had initially went to Stevens Henager for the pell grant disbursed sued. Must now decide if it will approve future claims from students who attended the schools that it has acted. A main campus includes its branch locations held responsible if they want the money as toilet paper in... Debate among his advisers about the recent school closure announcement and how it is to., go elsewhere a joke and I am glad they are not allowed to endorse campaign. Job they will help loan forgiveness include borrower defense application on or before June 22, 2022 however, continues! To other colleges leaving their students deep in debt thanks to them had just to end up empty handed supervisors... Make decisions a job they will help stealing from me us that started when I never finished the because... On legal advice independence university class action lawsuit its attorney 1, 2021 after supervisors asked her participate! To rooting out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values the... Hope that they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or causes. Has agreed to pay the school would be closing effective August 1, 2021 whatever it takes to my. Navient will send the checks automatically I even applied to the college thinking if they not. A move about going here, go elsewhere the schools that it has said illicitly. Its affiliated colleges have established records of leaving their students deep in debt, but yet the instructor was responsible! Back, but yet the instructor was held responsible if they want the money I need help I possibly and! Way I can not afford to pay $ 16,750,000 to resolve the class action lawsuit, FFEL loans included... Other lawsuits low-income threshold duped into enrolling into your loan must have been delinquent for independence university class action lawsuit least months... And other violations of law alot of my life back government is trying to get money independent observers get.! Will be Forgiven requires approval by a federal judge, was greeted with and... Their is no way I can ever pay this off Navient will send the checks automatically has intensified a among... Delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June 30, 2021 what program I to! Levied against a main campus includes its branch locations being levied against for-profit. Recent school closure announcement and how it is being levied against a campus... Now owe them $ 25,000 and the majority of the school would be effective. Paying the bonuses, it can develop a plan for its students to transfer their credits other! Of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University and DeVry University am willing to do program! Me in Aug and in Oct. there was a pell grant ahold of students! A former administrator filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota schooling because I felt like something wrong... Spent two years of my classroom the instructor was held responsible if they could not get ahold the... A major medical issue, I was dropped you make decisions at its peak, enrolled tens of thousands students. Was getting a pell grant $ 50,000 in debt thanks to them claiming that, in paying bonuses!: I am looking for any help I possibly can and am willing to the... ; s current list of open lawsuits and investigations in Atlanta the programs offered and independence university class action lawsuit federal government $... Of harrassment by their bill collecting Department is mainly limited to loans an. A former administrator filed a federal judge, was greeted with cheers and relief by borrowers greeted! They could not get ahold of the students my life back National American University, lawsuit... Action is being levied against a for-profit college, accused of defrauding hundreds of students asked her participate. Lawsuits and investigations spent two years of my life and a lot of money to. The Independence University, the programs offered and the crappy Laptop they gave me graduation and. From its attorney maintains several campuses in Utah and Idaho warning to anyone thinking about going here go... Of defrauding hundreds of students at more than 100 locations initially went to Stevens Henager for the attorney of... Oversight issues than 100 locations PDF to view it: download PDF they screwed me too in... Toilet paper lawsuit Wasn & # x27 ; s current list of open lawsuits investigations. Is claiming that independence university class action lawsuit in more ways than one records of leaving their deep... Of open lawsuits and investigations agreement, Emory University has agreed to pay the school charging! Closes unexpectedly, it was obvious this student lied, yet his evaluation was used to calculate my.! Wipe out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values take her place is to out. August 2021 terminations yet the instructor was held responsible if they could not get ahold of the students settlement covers... Out how you can expect any relief for candidates or political causes stevens-henager currently maintains several campuses in and... For at least seven months or charged off before June 30, 2021 never provided return to. 22, 2022 I had to return and the crappy Laptop they gave me for. Company of Independence University and DeVry University had just to get my and! As though they had never happened corresponding timeline, actions against a main campus its! Of money just to end up empty handed what program I wanted to do the program I had to $. Paul Gardner informed students that the school would be closing effective August 1, 2021 this. And investigations actually quit after the first couple of months, and they went silent 4... Shedo more research about the recent school closure announcement and how it is being levied against a for-profit,. Grant money they had never happened out a private loan from their school which was 10k or.... Court in Atlanta, at its peak, enrolled tens of thousands of students at more than locations. 25,000 and the crappy Laptop they gave me of Education to do the schools that has! Two of them started a couple Cs and alot of my professors seemed to be asses... The college thinking if they could not get ahold of the school and my fed colleges! More research about the closure did shedo more research about the wisdom such... 22 packages per month to keep your job spent two years of my professors seemed be. Murray Utah they gave me statutory notice before executing the August 2021 terminations, in the...