ITT Tech students warned to be careful of student-debt relief scams
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 15, 2016
RALEIGH — Seeking to guide former ITT Technical Institute students to avoid student-loan relief scams, the North Carolina Justice Center announced that its attorneys will provide ITT Tech students with free advice, resources and assistance in navigating their options, particularly regarding their ITT Tech-related student loan debt.
Hundreds of North Carolina students enrolled in degree programs at the for-profit ITT Tech were blindsided by the decision of ITT Tech’s parent company to close all of its campuses, including four in North Carolina, on Sept. 6.
Following the abrupt closure, many former ITT Tech students will be looking for answers online to determine what their options are going forward, including whether they can finish their degree at another school and whether they need to repay the federal student loans they took out to attend ITT Tech. Student debt relief scammers will likely attempt to take advantage of students’ confusion by charging students upfront fees or an ongoing monthly charge while providing little value to students. Federal consumer protection agencies have recently cracked down on several student-loan relief scams of this nature.
“We want to make sure that former ITT Tech students have access to information and assistance at no cost, rather than fall victim to predatory ‘debt-assistance’ operators,” said Jason Pikler, a staff attorney with the N.C. Justice Center. “For example, ITT Tech students should know that if they were enrolled at ITT Tech at the time of the closure or withdrew from the school within the last 120 days, they should be eligible to have all federal student loans they obtained to attend ITT Tech completely discharged. Students do not need to pay a company to apply for such a discharge.”
Former ITT students wishing to talk with North Carolina Justice Center attorney should call 919-863-2403 or 919-856-2570.
About ITT Technical Institute
ITT Tech is owned and was operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc., a publicly traded company headquartered in Carmel, IN. ITT Tech has been the subject of state and federal investigations regarding the legality of its recruiting and accounting practices and has twice this year been found out of compliance with its standards.
The U.S. Department of Education recently barred ITT Tech from enrolling new students who use federal financial aid, claiming that this action was necessary to protect prospective students and U.S. taxpayers in light of ITT Tech’s failure to respond to the accreditor’s concerns.
About the North Carolina Justice Center
The North Carolina Justice Center is one of the state’s voices for economic and social justice. As a leading progressive research and advocacy organization, the Justice Center’s mission is to eliminate poverty in North Carolina by ensuring that every household in the state has access to the resources, services and fair treatment it needs to achieve economic security.
For more information contact Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org, 919-863-2406
