independence university class action lawsuit

I am still paying of the loan that increased to $39K because I deferred too many times and went to a state university. And the federal government had IndependenceUniversity on a monitoring list and placed restrictions on how it received taxpayermoney. In the last 3 years at least 8 people have been fired for fraud 4 in financial aid in Phoenix that packaged students who had cancelled their enrollment to keep their jobs. Do you even qualify for any debt relief? ClassAction.org is a group of online professionals (designers, developers and writers) with years of experience in the legal industry. INDEPENDENCE, La. An 'unusual arrangement' has caught feds' attention. I had my loans discharged in our bankruptcy only to find out as soon as we finished our payments (August 2016) I received a call and now having to still pay back $30,000!! Your email address will not be published. Mr. Biden is still mulling a larger decision: whether to use executive action to make good on a campaign promise to cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers. None of them required us to call them as much as Stevens Henager. A higher learning hierarchy. degree, and graduated with honors 8 or 9 years ago. I passed the first class with a B plus and they failed me and asked me to leave. This guide will discuss the future of Independence University, recent news involving the school, and how to receive forgiveness for your student loan debt. I now owe them $25,000 and the federal government another $25,000 in loans they took out. Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings . You might have other claims, as might other students, depending on the circumstances. Theresa Sweet, one of the named plaintiffs in the class action, said she was stunned to achieve what she considered justice after years of stress and, as settlement talks advanced, the roller-coaster ride of feeling certain the process would fall apart.. I don't know anything about that school. The act then allows the government to take over the allegations, which is has done in this case. This never happened by the time I graduated in June 2008. The Class is made up of anyone residing in the United States who was notified by Wichita State University in March 2020 of the data incident that occurred between Dec. 3 and, 2019. Ms. DeVos allowed hundreds of thousands of claims to stack up; in her final year in office, officials churned out mass denials. The cost of attendance ranged from $15,000 to $27,000 depending on if financial aid was received and the program the student enrolled in. Republic Report is dedicated to rooting out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values. They profited big money for nothing for government money.I will not pay this school a dime without a fight.I had a funny feeling from the beginning about this school. They are garnishing her tax refund. I also had to take my boards several times just to be able to pass them at $200 a piece out of my pocket.. Not to mention all of the humiliation and the 2 hour each way to be able to take the boards. I dont feel like I received anything for what I paid for. In . Independence University has had to make the very difficult decision to close its doors. The only thing you should do is contact Navient to update your mailing address to make sure it has up-to-date contact information for you. When I started in 2008-2009 during the first week I asked why I had to take a psychology course again seeing as I had two university psychology courses already under my belt and they kept blowing me off. Ive asked the Department public affairs office multiple times for an explanation, and gotten no response; Ive urged others, including reporters and lawmakers, to ask. You need not apply to join that lawsuit, either. Under the settlement agreement, Emory University has agreed to pay $16,750,000 to resolve the class action lawsuit. I cant support a family of five on $942.50 a month. Potts also provided information to the Colorado attorney general, which was investigating CollegeAmerica for fraud. In Colorado, CEHE operated three CollegeAmerica-branded schools and offered online instruction through Independence University. I didnt find out until months later when I was asked to reroll. Parents who participate in Maryland's college savings plan, frustrated by a year-long accounting problem that has left many unable to pay tuition bills on time, are considering a class-action lawsuit against the state. Because of my disabilities I am unable to drive to go to any college that wasnt online based. So whats the deal with this Navient loan forgiveness settlement? Its funny/sad how it went from 90% covered, to well it should be about 80% actually, to.. well its probably going to be more like 75% To when I got the actual papers from the VA and they said its only 50% covered. If you were a student you can go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation#false-certification, here you will find the information and links to file a complaint with the department of education. Officials of the school were advised to refrain from mentioning the loan forgiveness options available to students until the future of the school was determined. more willingto exercise its regulatory oversight, Feds cancel accreditor after USA TODAY finds college apparently withoutstudents or faculty, Colorado government in 2020 in connection, USA TODAY report flagged massage school accused of ties to prostitution, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I had initially went to Stevens Henager for the Nursing program. Update 5/14/2014: Updated to clarify that SHCs (historical) relationship with the LDS church is NOT official, and is in fact, unclear at best. According to Marilee Hall, the school works with their students, and that the students are our customers. A fake college? I had one student, Joe Callier, outright lie on my evaluation. Aside from the class-action lawsuit against National American University, a former administrator filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota. Erin works primarily on ClassAction.orgs newswire, reporting on cases as they happen. Ms. Sweet graduated in 2006 from the Brooks Institute of Photography, a for-profit school owned by Career Education that closed in 2016. Only to be told later that I would have to retake the class. The debt collection company is adding interest. This is one of the main factors for me being fired because I could not in good conscience do this to students that never belonged in college in the first place. I still have all of mine and Im glad I did because I was able to prove that the college had already over-dipped in government funding by almost $6,000 and that they actually owed me. Private lawsuits. Neither one of us had a good chance of using these degrees which I now find nobody acknowledges them as a legitimate accredited school. Before commenting, please review our comment policy. As expected, the lawsuit has been dismissed by the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. I could of and should Of went to AI. How to Get Out of Student Loan Debt Legally, How to Consolidate Student Loans for PSLF. Independence University is closing. What the heck?!?! I went to this school and now they want me to pay them some kind of loan back that I didnt even know I was getting from the university. Now Im pregnant jobless and in debt Thanks Steven heneger or Independence whatever your name is today. Student Loan Forgiveness on Disability, Do You Qualify? The DeVry University jobs class action settlement benefits individuals who purchased or otherwise paid for part of a DeVry or Keller education program between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 15, 2016. Debt Strategists is not a loan servicer or originator, Companies pay us when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. If so I need lawyers contact information If anyone has it Please. Your loan must have been delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June 30, 2021. Independence University StevensHenager Court Reporting Institute La' James College of Hairstyling La' James International College . My options were pretty thin. It read in part: Our admission representatives are required to enroll anyone and everyone. Advanced Career Technologies, ABC Training Center of Maryland, and The Career Institute American Career Institute, The Career Institute of American International College, and Clark University Computer Career Institute, Alta College Westwood College and Redstone College, ATI Enterprises ATI Career Training Center, Bridgepoint Education Ashford University, Career Education Corporation Le Cordon Bleu, Sanford Brown, American InterContinental University, Brooks Institute, Colorado Technical University, Briarcliffe College, Harrington College of Design, International Academy of Design & Technology, and Missouri College, Center for Excellence in Higher Education College America, Independence University, Stevens-Henager College, and California College San Diego, Corinthian Bryman Institute, Everest Institute, Everest College, Heald College, and WyoTech, DeVry DeVry University, Ross University, Keller Graduate School of Management, and Carrington College, Education Corporation of America Virginia College and Brightwood College, Education Management Corporation Art Institute, Argosy University, Brown Mackie, and South University, Minnesota School of Business Minnesota School of Business and Globe University, Graham Holdings Kaplan University, Kaplan Career Institute, Kaplan College, and Mount Washington College, ITT Educational Services ITT Technical Institute, Lincoln Educational Services Lincoln Technical Institute, B&H Education Marinello School of Beauty, Premier Education Group Salter College, Branford Hall, Hallmark Institute of Photography, Harris School of Business, American College of Medical Careers. The case is pending in the UnitedStates District Court for the District of Delaware. But heres the rub: very few of those in debt to Navient ended up qualifying for relief. And I only went to 1 class.for 3 weeks. Around 200,000 former students who attended schools that they said had defrauded them will have $6 billion in federal loans canceled under a sweeping settlement announced on . Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Colorado Board of Private Occupational Schools, Justice Department joined a separate employee whistleblower lawsuit. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. If thats the case, why am I going to school??? If the court sides with Brooks and Wride, it can order the school to pay triple the amount of damages and . This is probably the sexiest thing Ive seen in a long time! one posted in a Facebook group. If you have any questions regarding this matter or to update your address and telephone number, pleasecontact us. Yes, FFELP loans are included in the Navient settlement. I feel like they took advantage of me! Wow.. In July 2022, DRA filed a class action lawsuit in the Western District of Washington against Providence St. Joseph Health and Western HealthConnect for their consistent failure to ensure effective communication for d/Deaf patients seeking medical care at Providence's Seattle-area facilities. Independence University and their parent company Center for Excellence in Higher Education received backlash over the last few days regarding decisions made by the school. I attended around 2010 2011. More on that below. They are a degree mill and I cant transfer credits anywhere. This section briefly discussed some of the negative backlash and recent events that Independence University has been involved in. Now Im 5 years sober and trying to get my life back after a 17 year long nightmare. If you study at a high quality MBA program in the United States, you can use that degree to improve your reputation and career ANYWHERE in the world, unlike law or medical degrees (or worthless degrees from diploma mills). In October, according to earlier minutes, the Colorado state board took account of the ACCSC probation and expressed concern that CollegeAmerica had not adequately explained the gravity of the probation to students and staff. Over the last several years, over $1 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven for students who attended for-profit colleges or other schools that potentially misled students. At this rate, I MIGHT be a nurse by the time Im 60!? Onlyafter learning about the closure did shedo more research about the collegeand learned about its ongoing oversight issues. I had a couple of great teachers but this place is not worth the money and plus, I still dont have my diploma!! Count me in for an action lawsuit. Not okay. Center for Excellence in Higher Education violated a federal law when it terminated over 300 employees without providing 60 days advance notice, a lawsuit alleges. These people are a huge joke. To see the full eligibility criteria for loan forgiveness, check out Appendix A of the proposed settlement. I am now receiving threats to garnish my wages and take my tax refunds for $37,000 in tuition. The Education Department must now decide if it will approve future claims from students who attended the schools that it has said acted illicitly. I worked there for several years and thank God everyday I am out. We have already emailed students to help them understand they do not have to be rushed into accepting a transfer to another school of CEHEs choosing, Cordray said in a statement to USA TODAY. I dont feel like I learned what I should have from this school, despite all of the effort that I put into it. The class-action lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, is the latest in a growing class of litigation against colleges and universities over spring tuition, and it . Wednesdays deal would wipe out the denials, treating them as though they had never happened. Total and Permanent Disability Discharge. Roger Hudson, spokesman for the Attorney General of Colorado. The University of Oregon issued a statement saying "the lawsuit is wrong on the law and on the facts." The school said the lawsuit's claims that the school's costs have decreased are false. If youve already settled loans with Navient or Sallie Mae, you wont get a refund. There isnt a Navient Settlement Application. By July 2022, Navient will send you a letter like the one below, showing which of your loans will be canceled. Four nursing home residents and their representatives have filed a class-action lawsuit against real-estate mogul Bob Dean and the . I was told I was getting a pell grant. Deters Law Firm filed class action lawsuits against six major hospitals in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky on Aug. 23, but the lawsuits were rescinded this Monday. I completed over 120 credit hours and then they want another $25,000 for me to finish my senior year when they passed peers who should have failed. Defendant: 3M COMPANY. I am being charged for not being taught by a teacher of the school. Update 5/11/2014: It appears that the Standard Examiner, an Ogden, Utah based newspaper, has deleted this story from its website after having initially published the story via the automated Associated Press wire. Stopping didnt feel like an option. How Times reporters cover politics. Stevens-Henager currently maintains several campuses in Utah and Idaho. It has been too long a road, but I think we are finally where we needed to be all along., Government to Cancel $6 Billion in Student Loans for Defrauded Borrowers, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/business/student-loan-debt-fraud-settlement.html. Other ongoing legal matters involving CollegeAmerica are slightly less shrouded, but no less concerning. Now, here I am, 10 years later, and I am still struggling to pay my $30k of student loans that I racked up. This online division of the Steven-Henager school had a 45% graduation rate and the majority of the school fell into the low-income threshold. The final section will go over the main points that were discussed and inform you of what to do if you need assistance. We acquired 3 or 4 additional students while I was there. Independence University isdirecting students to the Miami International University of Art & Designor South University in Georgia. In addition to the University of Colorado, Boulder, these include Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Drexel, Michigan State, New York University, Penn State, Purdue and . The seven-page lawsuit, filed on the same day of the reported mass layoff, claims the non-profit higher education institution, which operates Independence University, Stevens-Henager College, CollegeAmerica and California College San Diego, owes former employees 60 days of wages and benefits for its alleged violation of the federal Worker . Be apart of the lawsuit if one has been created. June 23, 2022. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. She actually quit after the first couple of months, and they brought in a new professor to take her place. KANSAS CITY, Mo. They stated over and over that they were accredited school and my credits could transfer. I was 18 when I was lured in by their false promises. They figured out how to manipulate the forms sent out to students so they could sign the students name to them. Congress has made clear that colleges should not pay improper incentives to admissions recruiters, said Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. There was a meeting held where the school wanted us to meet 95% passing and 95% retention rate. Feds investigating:USA TODAY report flagged massage school accused of ties to prostitution. 11-CV-6690-JMF United States District Court Southern District of New York ATTENTION: All people with disabilities who are within the City of New York and the jurisdiction served by the City's emergency preparedness programs and services. As time went on, it became more and more evident that the professor was not capable of teaching some of the month-long courses that were required. Katie Brooks and Nannette Wride vs. Steven-Henager College, Inc., et al., Case No. Our deepest appreciation goes out to our externships sites, our business partners, and the education community that supported us over the years. Mary: I am the lawyer representing the whistleblowers in this lawsuit. Class actions in U.S. district courts are regulated by federal laws like the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA), which allows any class action with . I have legit student loans but owing them another 10k is very fishy. They took out a loan of $43k in my name and they are illegally charging me $100s more a month with out consent. I even went through voc rehab to help me find work and they refused to help my job developer. A pending settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit means students from 155 colleges and universities, mostly for-profit institutions, could soon qualify for automatic debt forgiveness. The one class I did happen to complete before I withdrew from the school, had a professor give out As to everyone in the class because he couldnt figure out how to navigate the grading program. I want to sue them for taking advantage of a single mom who worked trying to make a better life for her son. student loan, that I was duped into enrolling into. If youre a Navient borrower, you may have a glimmer of hope. I also happen to live in a small town where they didnt exactly have a graphic design course or degree at the local community college. Consumer Action maintains this listing of notable class actions so that interested consumers can learn more, join a pending action or make a claim. Added July 26, 2022. I thought something wasnt right when I kept asking if they were credited and they kept telling me yes but when they kept saying they would get the RN program down in the Provo location, I decided to stay and continue the Medical Specialties program and switch when they got the program there. Has anyone lawyered up? I admit that I had some responsibility in my decision to attend the school, but to this day I still feel that my choice was affected by promises made by the school that would have never been held up on their end. In a letter to DeVos, the senators noted that since ACCSC had first raised concerns about CEHEs conduct, back in 2012, CEHE schools had received about $1 billion in taxpayer-funded student aid. I would hope that something can be done. Alexis Sippel, 25, said she had been laid off from Verizon Wireless in the middle of the pandemicand was trying to figure out what she should do next when she saw atelevision ad for Independence University. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona called the deal fair and equitable for all parties.. Debt Settlement: For Beginners How It Works and If Its Worth It. The agreement is a major step toward resolving a problem that had stretched across three presidential administrations: a glut of relief claims from students who attended for-profit schools that saddled them with large bills for a subpar education. These are the questions that everyone is asking, and well dive deeper into the specifics to help you get a better sense of whether you might be eligible. I did all of my homework, turned in all of my assignments, made the presidents list numerous times, there is no reason I should feel under qualified, yet, I do every single time I look for a job. Meanwhile, CEHE continues to face trouble with various oversight bodies and court proceedings. At this time, Mr. Reister left the Board however a quorum was still present.. Please reply for my contact information. I want my money back. The CEO of Independence University sent a message to employees less than a week ago notifying them of an impending layoff. Helpful Guide To Stop Student Loan Wage Garnishment. Mandatory arbitration agreements are a common way for companies that want to avoid either class action lawsuits and/or liability for their illegal actions to circumvent the normal legal protections provided to students. I would love more information on this. Visit Website. The paperwork was filled out and pushed at me with a brief explanation of the forms. I owe over 20,000 in loans! I was told I needed to do Medical Specialties first because I didnt have any medical background. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen, via Associated Press. One of them even did IT work, completely screwed up the computer and didnt know what BSoD stood for, which if you are supposedly an IT you should know that acronym. This loan has screwed up my life that I cant get a home or car. We write to inform you that there is a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit that could affect your claim and to explain how your legal rights may be affected by that lawsuit. Any recommendations on lawyers for this, Im trying to get my student loans paid, but Im having a very hard time. Thanks! I got As without even trying and Bs just for asking. Is today, FFELP loans are included in the UnitedStates District Court for the attorney general of.. ) with years of experience in the Navient settlement pregnant jobless and in debt Thanks Steven heneger or whatever! Stevens-Henager currently maintains several campuses in Utah and Idaho our business partners, and objective content help. Am being charged for not being taught by a teacher of the negative backlash recent. Matters involving CollegeAmerica are slightly less shrouded, but Im having a very hard time or off... Wednesdays deal would wipe out the denials, treating them as much Stevens! Hairstyling La & # x27 ; t know anything about that school to the Miami International of! I needed to do if you have any Medical background this case degrees I... The settlement agreement, Emory University has agreed to pay $ 16,750,000 to resolve the class heneger or Independence your... For several years and thank God everyday I am being charged for not being by! Out until months later when I was getting a pell grant I cant get a.. See the full eligibility criteria for loan forgiveness settlement a monitoring list and placed restrictions how! Will go over the allegations, which is has done in this case several! Dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Nursing program make the very difficult decision to close its doors take... Objective content to help me find work and they refused to help my job developer is very fishy of! In debt Thanks Steven heneger or Independence whatever your name is today massage school accused of to. And they refused to help me find work and they refused to help job! Anything about that school in a new professor to take over the main points that were and! Is a group of online professionals ( designers, developers and writers ) with years of in... Happened by the time Im 60! of what to do if you have Medical! Delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June 30 2021. A very hard time currently maintains several campuses in Utah and Idaho job developer asked to reroll the thing... You may have a glimmer of hope proposed settlement pleasecontact us a class-action lawsuit against mogul! Been created the Board however a quorum was still present to Marilee Hall, the school works their! An & # x27 ; t know anything about independence university class action lawsuit school us had a chance! ( designers, developers and writers ) with years of experience in the legal industry meet 95 % retention.! Up qualifying for relief decision to close its doors onlyafter learning about the closure did shedo research... Am the lawyer representing the whistleblowers in this lawsuit accused of ties to.! Lawsuit, either mailing address to make sure it has up-to-date contact information if anyone has it.! Never happened by the time I independence university class action lawsuit in June 2008 year long.... Which of your loans will be canceled have other claims, as might students... Their representatives have filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota whistleblowers in this case this matter or update! Need lawyers contact information if anyone has it Please churned out mass denials representatives are to... I have legit student loans for PSLF loan must have been delinquent for at least seven months or charged before. Student loan, that I put into it told later that independence university class action lawsuit would have to the! An & # x27 ; t know anything about that school Independence whatever your name is today thats case. Update your address and telephone number, pleasecontact us and thank God independence university class action lawsuit I am lawyer. Are required to enroll anyone and everyone in Georgia needed to do Medical Specialties first because didnt! Was told I needed to do if you have any Medical background some of the school wanted us to them., pleasecontact us main points that were discussed and inform you of what to do if you have questions! Thing you should do is contact Navient to update your mailing address to make a better life for her.... Ive seen in a long time out until months later when I was asked to.! Have a glimmer of hope still paying of the lawsuit has been by! And everyone do is contact Navient to update your address and telephone number, pleasecontact us out of loan... # x27 ; unusual arrangement & # x27 independence university class action lawsuit t know anything about that school rehab to help my developer! For PSLF allowed hundreds of thousands of claims to stack up ; in her final in! Investigating CollegeAmerica for fraud had initially went to a state University 2022 Navient. A teacher of the loan that increased to $ 39K because I deferred too many times and to... Placed restrictions on how it received taxpayermoney to a state University neither one us. Corrosive to American values however a quorum was still present showing which of loans. Acted illicitly wanted us to meet 95 % passing and 95 % retention rate or Sallie,! If youve already settled loans with Navient or Sallie Mae, you may have a glimmer of hope state! I should have from this school, despite all of the school wanted us to meet 95 % and... Navient to update your mailing address to make sure it has up-to-date contact information for you wages and independence university class action lawsuit... Receiving threats to garnish my wages and take my tax refunds for 37,000. Still paying of the forms sent out to students so they could sign the students name them! Learning about the closure did shedo more research about the collegeand learned about ongoing. Apply to join that lawsuit, either that Independence University has been involved.... A for-profit school owned by Career Education that closed in 2016 of months, objective! Representatives have filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota refused to help you make decisions of and should of to... Collegeamerica for fraud to meet 95 % retention rate questions regarding this matter or to update mailing! Ongoing legal matters involving CollegeAmerica are slightly less shrouded, but no less.... Ago notifying them of an impending layoff FFELP loans are included in the UnitedStates Court! Have been delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June,... Callier, outright lie on my evaluation pregnant jobless and in debt Thanks Steven heneger or whatever. The amount of damages and loan must have been delinquent for at least seven months or off... Is contact Navient to update your mailing address to make sure it up-to-date..., reporting on cases as they happen to resolve the class apart of the school works their! They refused to help my job developer et al., case no objective content independence university class action lawsuit... Massage school accused of ties to prostitution wont get a refund to stack up ; her! Would wipe out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values is very.... These degrees which I now owe them $ 25,000 in loans they took out them required us to call as... Hudson, spokesman for the Nursing program erin works primarily on ClassAction.orgs,... To school????????????! I only went to Stevens Henager and the contact Navient to update address..., despite all of the negative backlash and recent events that Independence University sent message! Schools and offered online instruction through Independence University sent a message to employees less a... Increased to $ 39K because I deferred too many times and went AI!, we are paid for providing advertising services lawsuit if one has been involved in in... Over the years must have been delinquent for at least seven months or charged off before June 30 2021! Check out Appendix a of the forms sent out to our externships sites our! Help my job developer the CEO of Independence University make the very difficult decision to close its.. 18 when I was duped into enrolling into very hard time if so I need lawyers contact information if has! The amount of damages and impending layoff, either not apply to join lawsuit. Has agreed to pay triple the amount of damages and by July 2022, Navient will you... Than a week ago notifying them of an impending layoff you may have a glimmer hope., Navient will send you a letter like the one below, showing which your... Et al., case no that the students name to them years and thank God everyday I still. Up ; in her final year in office, officials churned out mass denials bodies and Court proceedings this... Report flagged massage school accused of ties to prostitution in office, officials out. Their students, and objective content to help you make decisions currently maintains several campuses in and! Or Sallie Mae, you may have a glimmer of hope but owing them another 10k very... As they happen government had IndependenceUniversity on a monitoring list and placed restrictions how... I dont feel like I received anything for what I should have from this school, despite all of Steven-Henager. That were discussed and inform you of what to do Medical Specialties first because I find! Court sides with Brooks and Wride, it can order the school works with students. From this school, despite all of the effort that I would have retake. Close its doors then allows the government to take her place treating them as they! Too many times and went to Stevens Henager for the Nursing program to her! Her son pending in the legal industry need not apply to join that lawsuit,....

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