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McAuliffe announces Commonwealth’s response to closure of ITT Technical Institute

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virginiaGovernor Terry McAuliffe today launched a new online portal offering students impacted by the recent closure of ITT Technical Institution key information about steps they can take to continue their education at another institution or seek student loan forgiveness. The closure shuttered five campuses in the Commonwealth, including locations in Salem, Chantilly, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Richmond. Earlier this month, ITT Tech ceased operations nationwide.

The web portal, located at www.governor.virginia.gov/ITT, offers a one-stop resource for students with questions about how to proceed in the wake of the ITT closure. The Governor has directed the Virginia State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) to leverage every available state resource to assist these students, including the many veterans and active-duty servicemen and women who were enrolled at ITT.

“The closure of an institution like ITT Tech impacts hundreds of students and families across our Commonwealth, as well as one of the top priorities of this administration – workforce development,” Governor McAuliffe said. “We are committed to ensuring that the individuals who are affected by this closure benefit from every available state resource so they can get the skills and training they need to succeed in the new Virginia economy. Fortunately, Virginia is home to twenty-three phenomenal community colleges with open enrollment policies. Additionally, the New Economy Workforce Industry Credentials Grants included in the biennial budget can help many of these displaced students get more affordable in-demand credentials.”

The inter-agency response to the ITT closure will assist students who were enrolled at the institution, as well as alumni, as they work to complete their education or benefit fully from the degree they earned.

“Former ITT-Tech students need our support, encouragement and guidance,” Secretary of Education Dietra Trent said. “Governor McAuliffe has made it clear that providing them with the resources they need is not only the right thing to do, but essential to our goal of building a highly-educated, highly-skilled workforce.”

“The closure of ITT Tech has affected many of Virginia’s veterans, and it is our job to make sure we continue to support those students who have served us,” Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey said. “We are committed to working through the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and other state agencies in order to provide Virginia’s veterans with the resources they need and the support they deserve as they go through this transition.”

SCHEV Director Peter Blake and VCCS Chancellor Glenn Dubois have been working alongside Governor McAuliffe to ensure that those who were enrolled at ITT Tech at the time of its closure are given the opportunity to continue to pursue academic excellence.

“The Virginia Plan for Higher Education emphasizes the importance of college affordability, access and success,” said SCHEV Director Peter Blake. “With the sudden closure of ITT Tech, SCHEV is taking steps to safeguard student records, serving as a vital source of information for affected students, and processing refunds through the student tuition guaranty fund. As they pursue their college aspirations, ITT’s former students can know they have allies in Virginia.”

“For former ITT Tech students, this can be an especially emotional and confusing time. What it should not be, however, is a reason to stop pursuing a postsecondary credential. I want them to know that they are neither abandoned nor alone and that we stand ready to help them continue and complete the educational aspirations they sought at ITT Tech,” said Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Students attending any one of the five ITT Tech campuses located in Virginia may call their nearest community college to learn more about the options that are available to them. Contact information can be found in the table below:

 

ITT Technical Institute Campus
(in Virginia)
Nearest VCCS College Toll Free
Norfolk Campus Tidewater Community College 855-308-5614
Northern Virginia Campus – Chantilly Northern Virginia Community College 855-323-3199
Northern Virginia Campus – Springfield Northern Virginia Community College 855-323-3199
Richmond Campus John Tyler Community College 855-874-6684
Roanoke Campus Virginia Western Community College 855-874-6690

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