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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement today in response to the announcement that Heritage College, a for-profit college, will close all 10 of its campuses, including those located in Columbus and Cleveland. Students facing this closure may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness as a result of new rules the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released last week. Students can reach out to Brown’s office or ED with questions regarding federal student loan forgiveness or credit transfers.

“When for-profit colleges emphasize earnings over education, students are left high and dry,” said Brown. “Students should not be notified by a sign on the door that their college has closed. I will continue to work with the Department of Education and my colleagues in Congress to assist students facing this closure and to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.” 

Any student attending Heritage College at the time of its closure, or who withdrew within the last 120 days, are eligible to have their federal student loans forgiven and would have the option of starting their education somewhere new.  Students who wish to transfer their credits and complete their education at a different school may be limiting their ability to have their federal student loans discharged.

Brown announced last week that the U.S. Department of Education will restore Pell Grants for students at ITT Tech and students of other closed for-profit colleges. This announcement would also apply to students who attended Heritage College.  Brown encourages students who may qualify for loan restoration or discharge to contact his office or ED for guidance.  Brown is also the cosponsor of the Department of Veterans Affairs Education Relief and Restoration Act of 2015, which would restore the G.I. benefits of veterans who lost credit or training time because their educational institution permanently closed.

Brown continues to work to protect students from predatory practices. In July 2015, Brown called on ED to take a proactive role in protecting students attending poor performing, for-profit colleges. In a letter to then ED Secretary Arne Duncan, Brown urged the Department to develop a more effective strategy for dealing with the bad actors in the for-profit education industry and minimizing the potential harm to taxpayers. In his letter, Brown noted that ITT, along with several other for-profit education companies, is also experiencing financial struggles and is subject to state and federal investigations.

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