A few students who transferred to one of the open campuses reached out to me over the weekend with a letter they received from DCEH. It says their programs did not meet gainful employment standards and in the future if the program continues to not pass these standards they may lose access to federal student grants and loans. It recommends that the students find other ways like private loans or pay cash for their classes.
Then in some amazing double talk it says these rules may not apply to non-profit organizations. "DCEH has applied for nonprofit status with the DOE but it is still pending." ( Funny they promoted nonprofit status for nearly a year before our campus closed). How in the world can anyone expect these students to focus on their studies when terrible news keeps hitting them left and right? They have lost friends, housing, faculty, staff, Chairs, Deans, their campus and maybe even the ability to finance their education. And from what I hear at the open campuses this pattern is starting to repeat.
It is terrible how poorly DCEH has treated these students who remained committed to their programs and willing to upend their lives to graduate. The Art Institutes are bobbing like the Titanic just before it sank. The brand is so damaged and the assets stripped away. Isn't a total shut down of all the campuses likely in 2019?