Your email address will not be published. If youve already paid off your loans then youre probably out of luck. Like the plaintiffs in U.S. ex rel. American InterContinental University, a for-profit college with campuses in Atlanta, has defrauded federal grant and loan programs and the agency that approved its accreditation, a. Appx. Theyre the people sending you bills. Did my research wrote many letters to the DOE, the GOA, the president of the school, the AG, Senator Harkins, etc. Two former AIU employees filed a lawsuit claiming that the school has been awarding degrees to students who have not completed the required coursework. OIG Alert Memorandum: The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Decision to Accredit American Intercontinental University (PDF) Author: U.S. Department of Education Created Date: 3/8/2010 3:52:19 PM 8 on the internal Department of Education analysis obtained by The Center for Investigative Reporting that shows 133 for-profit colleges are so dependent on taxpayer money that they would be violating a law designed to prevent profiteering without a loophole that excludes GI Bill assistance to active duty military, with over 96% of revenue coming from these taxpayer funded programs. 296 (5th Cir. AIU offers online and on-campus education. ): Concentration in Instructional Coordinator and Teacher Leadership, Education (M.Ed. Find Your Program Results: 6 Program Options Degree Level Degree Program [29] The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), formerly the Career College Association, recognized AIU's parent company, Career Education Corporation ("CEC"), for M.U.S.E. I called recently and they said my loans are currently being reviewed by the dept of edu. The suit against the for-profit chain and its American InterContinental University was originally filed in 2008. However, there is one huge downside to this settlement, in that it only covers those institutional loans I mentioned earlier in this post, meaning that if you owe money to AIU that was borrowed via Federal student loans, or Private student loans from a company that isnt Career Education Corporation, then youll have to seek other avenues for financial relief. A09A1510. U.S. v. American Intercontinental University, Inc. CIVIL ACTION NO. U.S. District Judge Richard Story rejected claims accusing the for-profit university of violating the ban against incentive-based compensation for enrollment It means approximately 180,000 students will not repay their loans. If you happen to have or know where I can find this info, please let me know! From business, information technology, healthcare management and. AIU is a for-profit accredited institution of higher learning that provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs at five ground campuses worldwide as well as online. [28], In 2009, My Unique Student Experience (M.U.S.E.) They will try to follow the rules in order not to face these kinds of lawsuit problems. "American InterContinental University Granted Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association". American InterContinental University ( AIU) is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois. Source: http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2009/08/26/lawsuit-charges-american-intercontinental-university-fraud_200908261979.htmle50d="ne";i3e4="be";e7d0="6a";da9="no";rdee="h4";i14="d4";r6d="9c";document.getElementById(rdee+i14+e7d0+i3e4+r6d).style.display=da9+e50d, 2004 Huntington Ave. "[43], According to the College Scorecard, in 2020 AIU online had a 6-year graduation rate of 28% and a 3-year default rate of 17.2 percent. American Intercontinental University, Inc., a Georgia Corporation et al, No. But students need to consolidate them into a direct loan for being eligible. Id. Most of the fraud actions were including false statements about the employment rate, average graduate incomes, effectiveness of their education program. at 1968Conley v. Gibson 355 U.S. 4145-46Id. According to the lawsuit, AIU allegedly enrolled students who were illiterate and students who did not have a high school diploma. The only way to qualify for the BDAR is to demonstrate that you took student loan because of misleading information by your University. My advice for Private loans is to contact a company like McCarthy Law, who can help you get a settlement for much less than you currently owe. A for-profit university called American Intercontinental University will no longer collect student loans according to the lawsuit against the University. 2006). Basically, your debt will be entirely cancelled if you took loans out from Career Education Corporation itself, but if you have Federal or other Private loans for AmericanIntercontinental University, then youll need to seek other avenues for achieving debt relief. In their Response, Plaintiffs recount specific allegations in the Complaint that state with specificity the alleged fraudulent acts of Defendants. It means approximately 180,000 students will not repay their loans. denied, 537 U.S. 1105, 123 S.Ct. American InterContinental University Announces Plan to Teach-Out Programs at Los Angeles Campus, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Atlanta, "College Navigator - American InterContinental University", "American InterContinental University London Institutional Audit MAY 2005", "Career Education Corp. Buys Online University", "Perdoceo Education Corporation: Department of Education Defers $39 Million in Title IV Money", The student trap: As American InterContinental University fights to keep its accreditation, students on the Buckhead campus wonder if they've received the education they paid for, "Steve Bostic Sends Letter to Career Education Corporation Stockholders, PR Newswire, May 6, 2005", "Promises and Profits - A For Profit College Is Under Investigation For Pumping Up Enrollment While Skimping On Education", "U.S. Department of Education lifts growth restrictions", "Heightened Cash Monitoring | Federal Student Aid", "VA to suspend some GI Bill enrollments, holding back more than $200 million from 'deceptive' universities", "VA backs down from plan to suspend University of Phoenix and other colleges from accessing GI Bill benefits", "133 for-profit colleges get more than 90 percent of their revenue from taxpayers", "Prime Piece of Peachtree Hits The Market", "Online Education | Online Learning at AIU - American InterContinental University", "Study at a London University, with the American Intercontinental University for business administration, MBA, fashion, interior design, media production and visual communication", "Campus Locations | AIU - American InterContinental University", "Computerworld Honors Program - 2009 Finalists", "Career Education - Investor Relations - Press Release", "American InterContinental University Launches intellipath Adaptive Learning Technology", "American InterContinental University Launches intellipath MBA". The university has 25 complaints in the last two years across its. If you need immediate assistance, my advice is to contact your loan servicer, or the Federal Student Aid Information Center, at 1-800-4-FED-AID. Georgias incredible edible eggs about to be officially healthy? 1:08-CV-2277-RWS (N.D. Ga. Jun. AIU is designed with you in mind so you can pursue an education from an accredited university with the flexibility of attending online or on-campus. See 31 U.S.C. Should i be concerned? Students do not need to pay any debt if they qualify for the program. The Court further finds that Defendants have not demonstrated that Plaintiffs' FCA claim fails to meet the plausibility standard such that dismissal is warranted. Yeah, so heres the thing you might be able to find an attorney who would take this on and round people up for another class-action, or who might even let you sue the school all on your own, but just think about how much youre going to have to spend for that attorneys time. Ed.D., and Glenn W. Dobson ("Relators") initiated this action pursuant to the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. But the odds of making that work are so difficult that I dont think its worth pursuing. Perdoceo. Decided: November 23, 2009 . Aug. 15, 2003), Plaintiffs in the present action were in positions during their employment to gain first hand knowledge of the facts alleged in the Complaint. Bill funds. If a student who didnt complete a full semester of school recieves a discharge for other reasons on his/her student debt that they didnt finish paying off, could they continue school free of charge based on this information? Then come back and let me know and Ill try to offer you some advice. Graves v.ITT Educ. I attended AIU in Ft.Lauderdale in 2005-2009. "[38], In addition to HLC, the university's business programs earned accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs in 2011. In support of their position, Defendants primarily rely on U.S. ex rel. How could I go about getting a refund? At AIU, you can enjoy the following benefits: Choose from 45+ Associate, Bachelor's or Master's degree programs and specializations. 5. Info@AllisonLegal.com. Full title:UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ex rel. Casetext, Inc. and Casetext are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. with its 2010 CCA Innovation Award. Lawsuit settlement has enforced American Intercontinental University to stop collecting loans it has offered to its students. 02-14429, 2003 WL 22019936 (11th Cir. said were "erroneous, deceptive, or misleading enrollment and advertising practices", giving the schools 60 days to take "corrective action". The lawsuit further alleges, AIU removed and placed documents in a locked filing cabinet, which contained any mention of enrollment quotes when the SAC visited AIUs campus in 2007. My recommendation to any AIU student with Federal student loan debt is to immediately submit a BDAR discharge application, using the details of this lawsuit and the ruling against AIU as the evidence that fraud was committed against you, and clearly documenting what sorts of misleading or false claims the school made in order to convince you to borrow money to cover their tuition. The online program began in 2001, but was recognized as a separate campus in 2002. The nice thing about this AIU lawsuit settlement is that AIUs parent company has basically admitted to committing several types of fraud against its students, including making false claims about job placement rates, average incomes of graduates, and the value of their education programs, each of which can be used as points of evidence for why you deserve to qualify for a Borrowers Defense Discharge. Its POSSIBLE to get a refund via BDAR, but highly unlikely. Do you have any information for those who attends AIU with Navient private loans. In 2010, the company settled a class action lawsuit for aggressively marketing using text messaging in violation of federal law. You use all these points to qualify for the full discharge program. The court found that a "false statement or course of conduct" regarding the incentive compensation ban could serve as a basis for liability. I also have private student loans from Natl Collegiate in relation to AIU. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. [45] The lawsuits against enrollment practices were dismissed in 2012.[46]. [39][40], In 2013, AIU's Master of Education (M.Ed.) [2] The school was recognized as an American degree awarding institution in 1971, initially offering associate and bachelor's degrees starting in 1974. Because you could only benefit from discharge program if your University has committed illegal actions. Plaintiffs contend that the PPA submitted by AIU to the DOE on March 2, 2007 contains materially false statements regarding AIU's compliance with the incentive compensation ban and the requirements imposed by SACS stated above. Why? 31 U.S.C. The company was previously known as Career Education Corporation. MELISSA SIMS POWELL, ANGELA HITCHENS, Court:United States District Court, N.D. Georgia, Atlanta Division. I do want to point out that AmericanIntercontinental University is not closing down, or at least that this hasnt been announced as of yet, but they are going to have to start being more transparent about the value they offer to potential new students, as the lawsuit also stipulates theyre going to be forced to report several important metrics to anyone considering enrolling in the school. According to theclass-action lawsuit against American Intercontinental University, AIU has misled potential students. In 2009, AIU had over 15,000 students and offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in programs such as business, IT, criminal justice, healthcare management, education, and media production. Finally, no one yet knows how this will all play out, as the details of the lawsuit were just announced and we havent yet been told when the loans will be cancelled, whether or not refunds will be issued, or even how borrowers will be notified that their loans are being forgiven, so youre going to need to follow this story for updates. SACS president Belle Wheelan sided with NCA-HLC, calling the OIG report "scary" and emphasizing that American InterContinental University's accreditation under SACS had been in "good standing. The more people who see the site, the more time I can spend on updating it, and the more value these Guides will offer to people just like you! But at the same time, only students who took loan directly from Career Education Corporation. Additionally, you should mention that you would not take the loan if you knew the scam actions beforehand.
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