Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced that more than 5,000 Virginia students formerly enrolled in schools operated by Corinthian Colleges, Inc.-including Everest Institute, Everest College, Everest University, Heald College, and Wyotech-may be eligible for loan forgiveness following a finding by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) that Corinthian College and its subsidiaries published misleading job placement rates for many programs between 2010 and 2014. Corinthian operated several branches of its Everest facilities in Virginia including Everest Arlington, Everest Chesapeake, Everest Newport News, and Everest Tyson’s Corner. Corinthian Colleges filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2015.
“In many cases students are still repaying the debt they incurred based on false pretenses even though Corinthian Colleges and its subsidiaries have closed their doors,” said Attorney General Herring. “In the next few weeks we will be reaching out by email to let potentially qualified students know about the possibility of debt forgiveness. If you think you might be eligible, keep an eye on your inbox and contact us or contact the Department of Education directly if you have any questions.”
Attorney General Herring and his newly reorganized Consumer Protection Section are working with the USDOE to notify the approximately 5,300 Virginia students who may be eligible for loan forgiveness. Eligible students include those who used federal Direct Student Loans to pay for specified programs which were the subject falsely claimed job placement rates. In the coming weeks, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office will reach out to former Corinthian students via email to encourage students to apply for debt relief.
A full list of eligible schools, programs, and enrollment dates is available through the USDOE:
To apply for loan forgiveness, students need to fill out a federal loan cancellation application. The application may be completed online or students may print the application and attestation and return it by mail. Note that there are separate applications for Everest/WyoTech and for Heald schools.
Additional information regarding Corinthian Colleges is available through the USDOE.
If you have any questions, please call the USDOE hotline at 1-855-279-6207 or email your questions to [email protected]. You can learn more about loan forgiveness online at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/corinthian.
Attorney General Herring’s Consumer Protection section previously secured $2.29 million in debt relief for approximately 2,000 Virginia students at Education Management Corporation (EDMC) schools including Argosy University, The Art Institutes, Brown Mackie College and South University facilities including those in Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Arlington. The settlement also included recruiting and enrollment reforms.
In November, Attorney General Herring announced the completion of a reorganizationof the OAG Consumer Protection Section to more efficiently and effectively enforce Virginia’s consumer protection laws, provide exceptional customer service in resolving complaints and disputes, and provide robust consumer education to keep Virginians from being victimized by fraud, scams, or illegal or abusive business practices.
Consumers can contact the Consumer Protection section for information or to file a complaint:
- By phone:(800) 552-9963
- By email:[email protected]
- Online Contact Form/Online Complaint Form
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Chris Graham
