Virginia College went out of business in 2018, and the effects on students have been devastating. Many students are experiencing a variety of difficulties:
- Problems transferring credits
- Substantial student loan debt without a diploma or degree
- The status of their education left in limbo
- Dreams and goals for their education delayed or lost.
If you were enrolled at Virginia College, you may have a claim for compensation. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-210-7476, or complete a free “Case Evaluation Form“.
You might be entitled to money damages if you were working toward a diploma or degree from Virginia College when it closed its campuses in December of 2018. Methvin Terrell will evaluate your potential legal claims free of charge.
Contact Methvin Terrell attorney, Brooke Rebarchak, today to see if you may be entitled to recover money damages. Simply call 1-800-210-7476 or complete the Case Evaluation Form to have our legal team begin your free case evaluation.
The Case Against Virginia College
Our firm is investigating claims for former Virginia College students who had not yet obtained their diploma or degree. If you were a Virginia College student when the school closed (whether enrolled at that time or not), we will be happy to evaluate any potential legal claims to see if you may be entitled to an award of money damages. Our initial evaluation is free of charge, and if we ultimately represent you to pursue your legal claims, we work on a contingency fee basis– which means you will not owe us attorney fees or expenses unless we are successful in recovering money for you.
Virginia College was a private for-profit ‘college’ (owned by Education Corporation of America “ECA”) that offered classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific trades and professions (including medical assistant, medical coding and billing, cosmetology, culinary arts, business administration, pharmacy technician, HVAC technician, etc.) Virginia College also offered online degree programs in addition to its diploma and associate degree programs at campuses in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Virginia College had campuses in:
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- Tennessee – Chattanooga, Nashville (Brightwood College), and Knoxville
- Georgia– Augusta, Macon, Savannah, and Columbus
- Alabama – Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Mobile
- Mississippi – Jackson and Biloxi
- Louisiana – Shreveport and Baton Rouge
- Florida – Pensacola, Jacksonville, and Orlando (Golf Academy)
- South Carolina – Columbia, Charleston and Florence
- Various cities in Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Oklahoma
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In March 2015, the Department of Education placed Virginia College campuses on a Heightened Cash Monitoring (HCM) financial restriction list because of company financial and management issues. The monitoring resulted in additional federal oversight of federal student aid funds. Virginia College remained on the HCM list for 45 straight months for financial responsibility, administrative capability or cash monitoring.
Despite the conspicuous (and numerous) signals that the demise was near, it is alleged that ECA continued to (1) mismanage its ‘colleges’, including Virginia College; (2) receive federal student loan money, Pell Grant benefits, and GI Bill benefits; and (3) fail to warn its students.
Virginia College Loses Accreditation
In May 2018, the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) denied Virginia College’s accreditation due to poor job placement rates, poor graduation rates, high faculty turnover rates, and the failure to provide students access to proper supplies. ECA attempted to downplay the situation by stating that, “The vast majority of currently enrolled students will have the opportunity to complete their course work and earn their certificates/diplomas or degrees as planned.”
On December 4, 2018, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”) withdrew, by suspension, the current grants of accreditation of all institutions owned by Virginia College, LLC because the company had not resolved concerns over student progress, student satisfaction, outcomes, certification, licensure, staff turnover, and the company’s inability to meet its financial obligation.
Students Pay The Price
On December 5, 2018 Education Corporation of America (“ECA”) closed all of its Virginia College campuses across the country, including those in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery, leaving a combined total of more than 3,800 students just in Alabama left scrambling to figure out their educational future. Approximately 670 of these students were using the G.I. Bill benefits they had earned.
Students, who paid thousands of dollars and/or incurred substantial debt, were stripped of their opportunity to complete their programs. In fact, many of these students still owe money to the federal government despite losing the opportunity to obtain their degree, certificate, and/or diploma. Most students were not able to transfer their credits (in full) to other institutions or programs.
If you were a Virginia College student adversely affected by its closure, please contact us.
Contact Methvin Terrell attorney, Brooke Rebarchak, today to see if you may be entitled to recover money damages. Simply call 1-800-210-7476 or complete a case evaulation form to have our legal team begin your free case evaluation.