I have all of my transcripts, where I completed my Masters course, but they will not grant my diploma because I didnt do a specialist. In January, the college reached an agreement with the Justice Department to settle a lawsuit for $600,000 that alleged college employees falsified student documents to get more federal financial aid, the Miami Herald reported. Not only was I lied to about how easy I would find a job, I was being pulled out of class and told that I could not return until I signed off on more student loans. Youre going to have to look into other options here, and Im sorry to say that theres very little available to people with Private debt. Apart from these two, there are two other minor requirements that you need to meet before you apply for an art institute loan forgiveness program. Do you believe you were a victim based on any of the above practices? As the premier art gallery in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Huckleberry Fine Art specializes in finding emerging artists locally and internationally. The loans have been moved through several different lenders and now is being managed my ED Financial. I was a student at AIP, were working on a documentary on the fraud. Hey Zach, I went to that website that Tim Suggested Wayback Machine and I was able to find claims of actual percentages and salaries that were guaranteed on the AI website. Today, many students are eligible to have their loans completely discharged! Quit school. Therefore, it is prudent to proceed with caution anytime you need to fill out an electronic form that requires personal information, especially in cases that involve financial details. I was paying all my education out of packets with my family saving ( I paid over $15000). Of course this sucks but at least theres light at the end of the tunnel. Very hard to get job interviews. Thats when I left. Hi this article is awesome !! I was limited to no experience in design and marketing, I could not find a job that I qualified for. Do you have any companies that you recommend that could help me complete the paperwork. Theres a lot of information here, including details on the Borrowers Defense program, and the Closed School program. That turned out to be utterly untrue., In fact, I continually emailed and called the career assistance office for years after my graduation attempting to get work and I never did. Just want to make sure I get the right info. The program exists as an effort from the government to help such students continue their education. They collected on the first program and then instead of charging me only for 5 classes they charged me for the whole new program. Ive been paying my debt off, but the amount is well beyond the true cost of the degree. Consider your application as an attempt to build a case against the school, and if youve watched enough court TV, then you know that every case needs evidence to win! She did not get her diploma because one of her teachers had no heart to cut her any slack due to her grandmother , who she was very, very close to, suddenly passed away. The lawsuits are generally focused on unfair and deceptive practices that are detrimental to the consumer. It was hell and crazy, I was mislead and told that I would get a refund of around $6,000 because the school was closing early without a longer warning so they would discount my quarter by 50% meaning that Id have left over financial aid money that I could take home and apply to my student loans. . Hey Tim! Yeah, youre going to have to remember more details than what you outlined here. Im not saying that there isnt good information out there from sources not associated with the US government (after all, Im one of those types of sites), but I am saying that there are a lot of scammers trying to steal money from people, so be sure to be cautious in choosing who to trust.. Because most people who have their student loans forgiven arent going to have that kind of cash laying around, I have started another site to help people better understand and get rid of their IRS debt, called Forget Tax Debt, which you can find here. However, student loans stand as a significant problem in the way. I dont have a link to the court documents, but you may be able to find them via Google searches. However, if you are a student at the Art Institute, you may be eligible for compensation. My parents were paying my loans. The case also names its parent company, Education Management Corporation (EDMC), the largest provider of postsecondary education in the US. I can say without a doubt that the costa mesa campus specifically overpromised in every single category. Do I need copies of what classes I took during my attendance as evidence, if so how can I find them? I also had a teacher who was high while teaching and after I complained and it was confirmed that she was under the influence I was able to get a refund for my two classes (this I do have email proof of). Some federal programs provide forgiveness for student debt, but it is critical to avoid shady websites. Its much easier to get forgiveness for debt that still remains. I also supplied them with paperwork that has date discrepancies. Because Im realizing I was promised things before enrollment and now Im 70k in the hole with no way out.. Thats strange; there hasnt been a pause on BDAR for a while so it seems like the application should definitely be accessible. The Art Institute of Phoenix is accredited by the. However, the institute has denied wrongdoing and will likely settle with its students. Its basically youre only option and you have nothing to lose! Hi, My son son attended the Art Instiute of Charlotte, and has closed. Id make sure to explain EXACTLY what they showed you, who showed it to you, when it happened, where you were when it happened and how it changed your decision making process about borrowing money to attend the school. If you need help with Private loans, look at my pages on Private Student Loan Relief, Private Loan Forgiveness, Private Student Loan Consolidation, Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharges and Private Student Loan Default Help. If you attended The Art Institutes, call (800) 659-4099 to see if you qualify for student loan forgiveness. Thank you very much for the wealth of information that you have provided to us concerning the Art Institutes. I attended the art institute online division from 2015 to decembet 2017 i never finished my degree and had to quit was going to return to finish and have been payi g on student loans since last year i remember them telling me about the graduation rate and job rates that they promised me will i be eligible for this forgiveness. My father doesnt read or speak English had to co-sign for a student loan for me. In order to file your claim, youll need to go to the governments official website for the Borrower Defense Discharge Program and complete their electronic application. However, you need to know a few crucial details before applying. I was then told that there were no funds at the time (yes they actually told me this) to grant those $3000 and for that reason they wouldnt give me my degree unless I paid. I applied for the discharge for school closure. In this way, Ashford university student loan forgiveness comes forward as an incentive for borrowers to solve the problems. These events changed my future, and for a while there I grew pretty nihilistic, but it looks like there may be a reason here or there for at least a few things in life, such as they are. Google their name for their contact info. For any assistance regarding this program, it is also possible to get third-party help from experts. Thank you. This means that the federal government or debt collection companies will stop attempting to collect on the loans, including by not withholding money from your wages or income tax refunds. I think youll be able to win an approval for a Discharge if you can make it clear that you were tricked, swindled, defrauded by that data. The accreditation, ability to transfer credits, and the expected salary. common law fraud. They told me that was perfect anyway because I could receive grant money which would help pay for my classes. The case will be crucial for the Art-Imperials future. My question is what is my next step and I completely understand if Im way too late but I wanted to give a try anyway. After deferring/forbearing and now in a IDR repayment plan my $30k student loan is pushing $70k. I would absolutely fill out the application and pursue this. 145) and DEFENDANTS' MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT IN INTERVENTION BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Document No. Do you think I would qualify for Loan Forgiveness? It was the second-largest for-profit college in the whole country. I attended the AI of Costa Mesa and they were really constant bugging me and made me feel like I wasnt up to par when I was applying. I waited a bit after I graduated in 2007 because I became a single Mom in March of 2008. Misled students concerning the benefits of degrees obtained through education at their schools. Just make sure that you do a really good job of explaining exactly what you were told, who said it, how it impacted your decision to take out the loans, etc., and you should be on the path to a discharge. I have emailed the school for any financial documents during the time I was there, hopefully I get a response with something that helps. In this article, Im going to explain the qualifications for receiving Art Institute loan forgiveness and Ill also provide you with details on how to apply for the benefits mentioned above. Maybe? If I was told up front the total cost of my education I would have backed out right away. I have started on filling my case but I just want to make sure I am eligible for the Borrower Defense to Repayment Discharge program since I graduated from the AI of Chicago in 2003. I called in October and November, both times I was told they cant tell me anything until the next month. I tried filling out the application and Im trying to figure out how to word my answers in the questionnaire they provide. Im hoping to get out from under this felt for an education I didnt get! Try contacting the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to ask if you can include these in a BDAR Application, then let me know what they say. But before you get too excited, heres the most important part of the Borrowers Defense process: its extremely important that you link your Borrowers Defense claim to the Art Institutes lawsuit and the fraudulent activity that theyve been accused of performing. They were never helpful or even interested in helping me. The school never applied for accreditation as promised, therefore I was not eligible to work for the government or compete for decent paying jobs. The more details you can put together, the more likely youll be to qualify for a discharge. I noticed even more than they would change the jargon of the syllabus description of the class slightly and that equaled their new/you have to take this to graduate curriculum. You can still apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), but you may not be eligible. Officials with the Art Institute said then they expected the Dodges to live up to their contract. Falsely claimed that certain programs had the accreditation necessary for licensure. If so, you have a really good chance of being eligible for the Closed School Loan Discharge Program, and Id pursue that first before trying to qualify for a Borrowers Defense Discharge. Tim's experience struggling with crushing student loan debt led him to create the website Forget Student Loan Debt in 2011, where he offers advice, tips and tricks for paying off student loans as quickly and affordably as possible. If you attended an Art-related college or university and are now facing this situation, it is important to seek legal help as soon as possible. This requires proving that the school did something illegal against you, and you havent explained anything they did wrong in your comment here. THE ART INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL ) - KANSAS CITY; THE NEW ENGLAND ) INSTITUTE OF ART; ARGOSY ) . No Comments. I was told there was no way I could afford to attend and that I would have to take out loans and a parent plus loan for me to even be able to Attend at all. I did graduate, but woefully unprepared as the digital world has been discovered while i attended the school. In other words, you will need to be very specific on your Borrowers Defense application by explaining what the school said, did, or advertised which convinced you personally that you needed to borrow money to pay for their higher education programs. Your story about about being put into a beginner Math class is definitely not going to be enough to qualify you for a discharge, so Id think about other things that happened and see if you can come up with a more compelling argument on that front. In the case of the Art Institute, its proven beyond reasonable doubt and proved in court that Educational Management Corporation had committed several fraudulent acts during the operation of its Art Institutes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In recent years, many art students have been victims of for-profit art schools shutting down without notice, leaving them scrambling to find new schools and transfer credits. Unfortunately, its extremely difficult to get a refund, especially if the money was paid in cash instead of via student loans. Let me know if either of you have any updates. If you were really told that all of the students get jobs paying over $30,000, then you will DEFINITELY get approval for a BDAR Discharge. It was a misleading processes with all of the financial aid, a lot of oh you only need to take this small loan out then quickly went to a bigger loan is necessary then to the your parents need to take a parent plus loan to help cover your school. Students have filed class-action suits against the institution for violating consumer protection laws. You need to think back about what you were promised and how it impacted your decision to take out the loans. Under this program, you can obtain total loan discharge. My father was told a parent plus loan was the best option. Moreover, the plaintiffs are entitled to compensation under the class action suit. History Origins and growth (1921-2010) The Art Institutes system was created in 1969 when Education Management Corporation (EDMC) acquired The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, which was founded in 1921. (Financial Aid event admitted they had messed up) Which option out be the best. please notify us we are suffering . the Borrowers defense application. The ONLY reason we agreed to take out Parent Plus loans and federal loans was the high graduation and placement after graduation figures we were shown in marketing documents during multiple one on one sessions with admittance personnel from the school in late 2012/early 2013. I attended the art institute from 4/09-3/11. I was constantly pulled into the counselors office to sign more loan docs with my mom as a co-signer. Stopped collections status will continue until the borrower defense review process of your application is completed. Is the loan Federal or Private? If possible please let me know where I can find the actual court documents against The Art Institute . Too much liability. I am no longer employed and she does not make enough to make payments. My best possible suggestion is to contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and see if theres anything that they can do to help you out. There is a lot of information online about the Closed Program. I left the school without graduating because a few weeks prior to graduation and portfolio review I was told that I had failed 2 classes and would need to repeat them the next term or the next time they were offered, in order to graduate and participate in portfolio review. Glad that Parent PLUS loans are eligible, and thank you VERY MUCH for your response! Do I have a right to sue under breach of contract. If so, you will not qualify for Art Institute student loan forgiveness under this program, because transferring credits invalidates your eligibility to receive the benefit. The Art Institutes accreditation was revoked by the United States Department of Education in September 2016. Click the links above to be taken to the section of this Guide that details the specifics for each program. They ruined my life and marriage. I just feel cheated. I attended the AI of Ft Lauderdale in 95. I moved out of state and never knew about any of the other lawsuits otherwise I would have tried to get in on them. I attended The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh Online Division from Spring 2007 to Winter 2011. Its definitely possible that you could get a refund or partial refund via the Borrowers Defense to Repayment Program. Therefore, its vital that you pay attention to the details and fill out your application correctly, so lets look at the application process in more detail. The lawsuit claims one plaintiff was only 11 years old when a local man in his home town of Kouroussandougou, Mali, promised him work in Ivory Coast for 25,000 CFA francs (34) a month. If you decide to move forward with an application for the Borrowers Defense Against Repayment, then you stand an excellent chance to write off your debts and benefit from the art institute loan forgiveness.Before you apply, there is some crucial information you need to consider. But once I finish I did not get any help from othe counselor. This site started as an SEO testing ground where I could try different techniques and see what worked and didnt work, way back in 2011, but then I got obsessed with knowing all the latest details about every program, and once I realized how helpful I could be I just didnt stop developing new content.