JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A troubled chain of for-profit colleges has closed abruptly in dozens of locations nationwide, after its accrediting agency suspended approval.
Birmingham, Alabama-based Education Corp. of America on Wednesday closed schools operating as Virginia College, Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Ecotech Institute, and Golf Academy of America.
The company in October said it owed $46.8 million to unsecured creditors, asking a judge to keep landlords from kicking it out of locations.
ECA earlier announced it was closing some locations once students completed classes, but said it would continue others.
Project on Predatory Student Lending Director Toby Merrill says students can ask the U.S. Department of Education to cancel loans if a school closes.
The company website says information about transcripts and recommendations about transfers will be available starting about Dec. 17.
According to Virginia College’s website, applications are no longer being accepted for new students at the schools. Virginia College had three locations in South Carolina, including Florence, and one in North Carolina. There are also locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Golf Academy of America’s website also says they are no longer accepting new student enrollments. There were locations in Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Dallas, San Diego, and Phoenix.
According to Golf Academy of America’s Myrtle Beach website, “Golf Academy of America, Myrtle Beach has been placed on institutional show cause by its accreditor, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”), because of the final adverse action taken by another recognized accrediting agency and for financial concerns.”
Brightwood College had locations in North Carolina, California, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas, according to their website.
