Tough Times For Former ITT Tech Students As Institute Shuts Down
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
RICHARDSON (CBS11) - No answers and no help. As ITT Technical Institute completes the shutdown of its business Friday, the headaches continue for former students.
At the ITT campus in Richardson, one of three in North Texas, a sign on the door says the company has discontinued operations.
Students say that apparently includes the company's bank account.
ITT nursing student Melissa Bosworth received A $990 refund check days after the for-profit college unexpectedly shut its doors.
"Of course, took it to the bank, put it in the deposit and found out today that it was not cleared. They took it back out of the account," said Bosworth.
The bounced check forced her to overdraw her bank account. It was not what this single mom envisioned just 12 weeks from graduation.
"At this point, we thought 12 weeks. We're going to be sitting pretty. We're going to have the career we always wanted and now, nothing," she said. "It's just another kick in the leg."
She and fellow students are now cut off from ITT. When parent company ITT Educational Services stopped operating Friday, they told students they wouldn't even provide support services anymore. Sources also say the college operator is preparing to file for bankruptcy. Labor attorney Trey Branham says the refund checks are almost certainly a lost cause.
"I don't think that there's going to be any recourse for her getting that money unless there's a bunch of money that comes out of the bankruptcy proceeding, which is not very likely," said Branham.
He recommends students apply to have their student loans discharged, though that would mean forfeiting a credit transfer to another school.
Melissa Bosworth fears she'll be stuck in the middle.
"My kids were going to see my graduate, that was my big motivation was my kids. And now, mommy's starting again," she said.
And to a school she thought would give her a career, she's left with nothing but heartache.
"You've wrecked many lives. Many goals, hopes, dreams are gone," said Bosworth.
ITT enrolled more than 35,000 students. CBS11 reached out to ITT for comment, but their spokesperson no longer works there and their voice mailbox is full.
The Department of Education has made the following information available to ITT students:
Blog from Under Secretary Mitchell
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)