BREAKING: Vantage College closing El Paso campuses
Vantage College will no longer hold classes and closed its doors as of January 19, 2017, a statement released by the college states.
The college has two campuses in El Paso, including one at 1605 George Dieter on the East Side and another at 3 Butterfield Trail in Central.
The message on the college’s website further states, “the U.S. Department of Education has been conducting a review of the College. No report has yet been issued in that review and consequently we have not been able to address any concerns that the Department might have.”
The Department of Education reportedly informed the Vantage, “that, due to the existence of this review,” it is halting the flow of federal student aid funds.
Students like Oscar Martinez who had just enrolled to earn a certificate as a medical assistant were hoping to start a new path in life and now, “I’m scared. I was supposed to be in debt for a good reason but now it’s for a bad reason,” Martinez said.
The college is reportedly “reviewing options for (students) to complete academic programs at other post secondary institutions in the community, and we have identified several institutions that have comparable academic programs and may provide credit for course work completed on a satisfactory academic basis at our school.”
Vantage will make arrangements to maintain academic and financial aid records and will reportedly provide any information requested by students and other educational organizations via its website.
The college asked that all questions be directed to the following email address: info@vantage.edu
Academic transcripts for enrolled students will ne mailed next week to the last known address on record, Vantage said. If your address has changed, please send a message to: transcripts@vantage.edu
“We are very grateful for the opportunity we had to serve you and we wish you every success in the completion of your studies and the pursuit of your careers,” Vantage said in a news release.
The U.S. Department of Education sent ABC-7 this information about the closure:
“If a student was in attendance at the time of closure, or withdrew within 120 days of the closure, and he/she did not complete the program of study, the y student may be eligible for a closed school discharge. A closed school discharge is a 100% discharge of the federal Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, or Federal Perkins Loans the student took out to attend the closed school and a reimbursement of amounts they may have already paid to the government.”
The department added, “A student may wish to keep the credits they have earned from Vantage and transfer those credits to another school with a comparable program. If a student chooses to transfer into a comparable program offered by another school, that school will evaluate their Vantage course work and will decide whether to give them credit for the work already completed, and what courses they would need to take to complete their program of study.”
The U.S. Department of Education says it will also provide an email to all students attending Vantage college providing information on refunds or credits.
