I was told for my specific branch of the major they were already working on adding several more courses with focus on baking and pastries(there were a hand full to 3 specific classes for baking and pasties and I expressed co even about that and was told this by the head director of culinary department) and added to the curriculum to focus more on that specific branch of culinary (that was never done or mentioned again), I was also told several times it was a well known and trusted school with lots of pull and open doors that would help me tremendously once I graduated it would help me find good work and positions I may otherwise not have an opportunity with(no doors opened what so ever and I was I was told to put myself in job hunting sites to find a job) I was also told they had a program once I graduated to help me find good employment and quickly and given a % of success(I was directed by this program to put myself n job websites and never heard from them again and I found no job and didnt even get any offers for a job) I was told I was going to get a top of the notch education by top chefs in their fields that would teach us all they know and get specialized courses in my degree focus and more were already in works to be added (there were very few classes specific for baking and pastry degree and none were ever added to the program & we learned straight from a book and did recipes from books and were told we went allowed to add ingredients or deviate from the recipie( luckily I had one teacher who allowed us to do so anyway and in my opinion actually cook) I was told the school was well known and renowned and the name alone was going to open many doors to me. I filed the loan discharge papers to our loan provider, and was told we were ineligible due to the Dept of Education had not notified them of the school closure. For additional ideas and more information about all the ugly details of what the school did wrong, be sure to read the official US government press release here. I currently Owe 180k in student debt. A proposed class action alleges the Art Institute of Chicago has collected Illinois residents' biometric information without first obtaining consent to do so or making certain statutory biometric privacy disclosures. They will negotiate with your lender to settle your private loans for much less than you owe, then get you a new loan for the much lower, settled amount. That when I went there Nicole. I am REALLY relying on the lawsuits against ai and the fact that the schools closed down because of fraud. I graduated from Argosy Univ in 2009 in the Psychology program. When you write your Borrowers Defense Claim you need to stress the fact that the Art Institute was involved in a lawsuit because they broke the law by doing illegal things to encourage students to attend their schools, and to take out student loans in order to pay for their attendance.. Do not overlook or rush through this essential part of your claim, because its literally the most important thing for you prove. I attened A.I.P. Do you believe you were a victim based on any of the above practices? Art Institute Lawsuit Documents. Then they hit me with the Financial Aid Ceiling thing. So that was just 3 years and 33000 wasted!!!!!! The plaintiff will only lose if the defendant fails to comply with the laws of . Then lost the baby and moved back in with her dad. Students say for-profit art college delivered debt - but no jobs Join Art Institute Class Action Lawsuit - Law Chart The purpose of paying them is making sure that you take advantage of whatever benefits programs youre eligible for. I would absolutely pursue this in your case, and just make sure to provide as much evidence as possible for your story. What their role or position was? I took loans out and Im currently 60-70K in debt. My last quarter there was July-Sept 2018 with the school closing in December 2018. They accused the agency of providing loans, although the Education Management Corporation, a company that owns Art Institutes, knew they were not eligible to pay. The Art Institutes Closures Spark Panic amongst Students I borrowed this money without hesitation being young, trusting and ignorant. The Art Institute of California Inland Empire 630 East Brier Drive San Bernardino Ca 92408 (909) 915-2100 http://www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire/ (school closed, phone disconnected, website not active) 1. By pursuing a class-action lawsuit, they can be held liable for any misdeeds that led to a loss of employment. Law Enforcement Actions Against Predatory Colleges I dont really know what youre accusing them of having done wrong, and it definitely doesnt sound like they did anything illegal, so I would not submit this claim as-is. I have every correspondence with this school as well as several disheartening emails to Pittsburgh about the conditions of the campus here as far as tech and structure. I do not know about the credit weight change, and Im not really sure that this would be a good argument for BDAR either. Any time that there is more news, I will update this information accordingly. The Art Institute is not the only defendant in this lawsuit. They have now taken $6000.00 from me and I never even went to the crappy school:(. If borrowers meet the programs specific criteria, they are automatically eligible for loan discharge under the borrowers Defense Against Repayment program. I have emailed the school for any financial documents during the time I was there, hopefully I get a response with something that helps. US Gov Sues The Art Institutes for $11 Billion Fraud. I would like to know how it turns out for you guys, we are in the same boat here in California. Hello, I want compensation from ART Ins. The Art Institute is not the only defendant in this lawsuit. Im not making enough money to afford- rent, car, and monthly needs (gas, until bills, food) but I cant afford to pay these loans with my income. You need to carefully explain that you would never have taken out a loan to attend the Art Institute if the school had not engaged in fraudulent activity designed to convince you to take out those student loans. I need to prove that the school didnt refund the $. We're here to help you understand what you need to know to fund your creative education. I am no longer employed and she does not make enough to make payments. I found information that final day of attendance must have been between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2014. Hello Thank you soo much for creating this page and all the hard work you are doing . They really did me wrong. Zach! If you happen to be a student at The Art Institute before its closure. All Rights Reserved. That is illegal behavior on the schools behalf. Art Institute Lawsuit & Loan Forgiveness Options - FINANCIALGID With 4 outstanding private student loans out with my father as a cosigner, (Great Lakes and Navient) would I still qualify for Borrower Defense to Repayment Discharge with the right evidence to back up all of the accusations? It is imperative to join the art institute class action lawsuit if you want to recover damages. Unfortunately she heard that today is the last day to apply. If a school lied about the cost of the loan, employment rates, credit transfers, or education quality, you could apply Borrowers Defense to get debt relief. Its parent company, Education Management Corporation, is also a defendant. The Art Institute has a long history of misdeeds. He was 3 months from graduating when the school closed. Since then, I have consolidated the loan and have been trying to make payments. I paid out of pocket there. Some federal programs provide forgiveness for student debt, but it is critical to avoid shady websites. Than you for the kind words Kayla, I will keep my fingers crossed for you! The Kansas City Star first reported in November about the unfulfilled pledge and the litigation. As long as you qualify for either one of the two government programs I mentioned above in order to wipe out your debt for completely, and for good. Good luck! I wish that back then that I contacted the school about refunding the difference but didnt know. Whatever you do, dont file a claim anywhere else! We did most of our own teaching in that we often just read through the textbooks and learned on our own, so pretty much all I paid (waaay too much for) was a largely useless piece of paper. I hope you managed to turn a profit off your lawsuit! A lawsuit filed in October of 2019 will allow some of the 26,000 affected students opportunities . in 1992 to 1994. These are : With these three requirements in mind, you can confidently determine your full eligibility if you happen to qualify for the program. My son attended the Art Institute of Dallas at a time when it wasnt an academically accredited institution which they lied about. It was within those 180 days, but the application says that I dont apply because I graduated. As I mentioned above, you might qualify to have your student loans written off via the Closed School Loan Discharge Program if you were a student at the school when it closed or if you left the school no more than 120 days prior to the day it closed. Art Institute had 50 locations that closed. Fast forward to March 2018, I was struggling with the death of my mother and need to take time off school. Each month, you will receive ten gift articles as a subscriber. It was a long time ago so the hardest part for me is remembering the specific details of what was said to me. KC Art Institute lawsuit forces ex-banker to seek bankruptcy protection Those Job Placement Rate promises may be just the ticket! I have thousands in student loans, and have suffered emotionally. I dont see where the school committed fraud against you, or did something illegal? Thanks for all your help, we really appreciate it! See my page on Parent PLUS Loan Forgiveness for details there, and for your Private loans, there is no option for BDAR. While in default, can I file and receive student loan forgiveness under the Borrowers Defense Against Repayment Program, or do I need to get out of default first in order to qualify? I thought most of my units were transferable so now if I enroll to a community college, I would have to retake English and Math courses. I took out around 20,000 in loans (half subsidized, half unsubsidized) not knowing what i was getting into, and being told my GI bill would assist in a lot of my payments, which they did not qualify to. I no longer work there because I do not have the skills to run the graphic design software, and was not capable of handling printing machines; in addition I was unable to execute various screen printing jobs using their machines and software, which are basic skills as a graphic designer so I was terminated. About 5 months after graduating I still hadnt received my actual degree (Associates in Occupational Studies)- I called some of my former classmates who informed me they had just received theirs, some were still waiting. No Comments. What exactly did they tell you? I am unable to transfer these credits to any college, I also dont even have a valid high school diploma. Thats a good question, and you MIGHT still be eligible. The company that owns the Art Institutes, Educational Management Corporation, was accused of violating US consumer protection laws, and in 2015, they agreed to forgive up to $103 million in student loan debt. While the Art Institute lawsuit is based on a class-action lawsuit, the case is still a civil suit. You will have to pay back your Art Institute student loans until you are in debt (unless you repay them). He is heart broken and we are being crushed by the debt due to a recent reduction in our own income. As of today, the Educational Management Corporation has failed to admit any wrongdoing even after the Art Institutes lawsuit wen against it. She then decided to move in with me and I was required to fill out paperwork confirming she lived with me, so she could qualify for low income discounts. Moreover, you must have attended the school in the past. The Art Institutes was a subsidiary owned by the Educational Management Corporation. Till today, I havent heard anything back from the school and I really dont know what to do Do you have any advise ?