EVERETT — Local colleges are stepping in to catch hundreds of students left in the lurch after ITT Technical Institute closed campuses around the country, including one in Everett.
The for-profit college last week announced the closures and blamed sanctions by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal agency in August decided that it would no longer allow ITT to enroll new students who receive federal financial aid. The Washington Student Achievement Council also barred the school from receiving state aid.
The achievement council reports that 168 students were enrolled at the Everett campus as of Aug. 1. Hundreds more were set to study this year at campuses in Seattle and Spokane.
Other colleges in the area are looking to connect those students to programs that could let them transfer credits and finish their degrees.
Everett Community College is planning an information session for former ITT students from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday. The event is in Gray Wolf Hall, Room 166, on the campus at 2000 Tower St.
During the information session, students can learn about enrollment, financial aid, advising and academic programs that relate to majors formerly offered by ITT Tech.
“The recent decision to close ITT Technical Institute has displaced a number of students,” said Laurie Franklin, EvCC’s dean of Enrollment and Student Financial Services, in a news release. “We will do our best to offer a smooth transition with evaluation of credits, advising and financial aid assistance.”
Parking is free for the session and more information is available online at EverettCC.edu or by calling 425-388-9219.
Edmonds Community College has set up a webpage for ITT students at edcc.edu/itt.
“We do not have a standing articulation agreement with ITT Tech, but we will work with you individually to explore options that could prevent you from completely starting over,” the college stated on the page.
Different degrees that were offered at ITT have been matched with contacts at Edmonds Community College who can help students figure out which courses would best fit their area of study.
Among the ITT programs that may transfer to other colleges are business management, administration, accounting, drafting and design, cyber security, software development, criminology and forensic technology and industrial, electrical and computer and electronics engineering.
The Washington Student Achievement Council and other organizations collaborated to set up a webpage with information about financial aid, other colleges in the state and how students can get their transcripts from ITT so they can transfer credits, according to council spokeswoman Emily Persky.
“WSAC contacted ITT students receiving state financial aid last week and will send a message to all ITT students in Washington,” Persky said in an email Friday. “This message will encourage students to explore options for continuing their education.”
To contact the council with questions, email closedschool@wsac.wa.gov or call 888-535-0747, then select option 3.
The state Board for Community and Technical Colleges also has created a landing page online for former ITT students, reminding them that “the doors are open” at 34 community and technical colleges around the state.
Former ITT Tech students may be eligible to have any federal loans they took out to pay for school discharged if they do not complete their degree. If they choose to transfer credits to another institution and complete a similar program there, students are not eligible to discharge loans, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The department is putting on a series of webinars this month to help ITT students understand their options. A schedule is available online at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/itt.
Everett Community College and other schools also have been working with students from Trinity Lutheran College, which closed its downtown Everett campus last spring.
Herald writer Eric Stevick contributed to this report.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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