Los Angeles, California - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris issued the following statement on the announcement by Corinthian College, Inc. (CCI) that it will close all of its California campuses.
"Corinthian continued to deceive its students to the end. Closure of these campuses should help students get out from under the mountains of debt Corinthian imposed upon them through its lies. Federal and state regulators rightly acted to prevent taxpayer dollars from flowing to Corinthian, which preyed on the educational dreams of vulnerable people such as low-income individuals, single mothers and veterans by misleading students and investors about job placement rates and course offerings. My office will work closely with our state and federal partners to ensure that students get the relief they deserve, providing them with a new path to achieve their educational goals and rebuild their lives.”
Current students attending Corinthian’s WyoTech, Everest or Heald College campuses can visit www.oag.ca.gov/Corinthian to find information on eligibility for debt relief, available resources and the closure status of a specific campus.
Students are also encouraged to utilize an interactive tool created to help current and former Corinthian students learn more about their rights and how to protect them. Students will be prompted to answer a series of questions, which will result in a personalized resource sheet that can be downloaded or emailed for future reference. The personal resource sheet will provide students with information about types of relief they may be eligible for, as well as information on local organizations that can provide help and advice regarding their legal rights and educational options.
In 2013, Attorney General Harris filed a complaint alleging that CCI intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through deceptive and false advertisements and aggressive marketing campaigns that misrepresented job placement rates and school programs. The complaint alleged that CCI deployed these advertisements through persistent internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns. The complaint further alleged that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, which harmed students, investors and taxpayers.
On April 9, 2015, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the federal government to immediately relieve the debt burden of thousands of students who attended Heald College and other Corinthian Colleges, Incorporated campuses.
