ITT Educational Services closes its campuses

The ITT Technical Institute campus in Columbus, Ohio.

One of the nation’s largest for-profit educational companies – with a location in Colonie – closed all its campuses Tuesday, putting an end to an operation that has been accused of widespread fraud and abuse.

The move leaves thousands of students and employees in the lurch as a new school year begins.

The company, ITT Educational Services, has been under pressure ever since the federal Department of Education imposed strict new rules that bar it from enrolling new students who use federal financial aid.

In a news release, the company criticized that decision, calling it “inappropriate and unconstitutional” and “taken without proving a single allegation.”

Ted Mitchell, undersecretary for the Department of Education, dismissed assertions that ITT was the target of a political agenda, saying that the issues surrounding its educational quality and financial stability were long-standing and fundamental.

“Over time, the risk was just too high,” for both students and taxpayers, Mitchell said.

“Many hardworking New York students have enrolled at ITT campuses across the state and invested significant time and resources into their education,” said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “That is why my office wants to ensure all students affected by ITT’s closure clearly understand their options moving forward. I encourage those with student loans to consult tips from my office and from the Department of Education in order to advance and restart their education as quickly and inexpensively as possible.”

ITT, which also faced the loss of its accreditation, said Tuesday that it had no choice but to cease operations after 50 years in business.

Last week, the owner of a chain of colleges, the Center for Excellence in Higher Education, filed an unusual lawsuit in federal court, saying the department was trying to put the colleges out of business by failing to classify them as nonprofit educational institutions.

ITT’s roughly 35,000 current students and those who withdrew in the last 120 days essentially have two options, Mitchell said.

They can try to transfer their credits to another school to try to finish their education. Few quality schools may be willing to accept those credits, although Mitchell said education officials were contacting community colleges to reach out to former ITT students.

The other alternative would be for students to apply for a loan discharge, which would in effect wipe out their federal student debt. If everyone at ITT who was eligible took that route, the cost could run as high as $500 million, Mitchell said.

Any students who believe they have been defrauded can also apply under a separate borrower defense program to have their loan forgiven.

The department has set up a website — studentaid.gov/ITT — and telephone number — 1-800-433-3243 — for ITT students to obtain more information.