The Erie campus of Fortis Institute, a for-profit trade and career school, is at risk of having its federal accreditation suspended, a move that would disqualify the campus’ students from getting federal financial aid.
A suspension, which Fortis said it is confident it can prevent, would also jeopardize the future of the school’s Erie campus, at 5757 West Ridge Road in Fairview Township, just west of the Millcreek Township line.
Without access to federal financial aid, students would lack a major resource to pay tuition at Fortis’ Erie campus, which the National Center for Education Statistics reported was $13,157 a year for 2017-18.
The private Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools has informed Fortis of the possible suspension, mainly due to an anonymous letter the council received in May about “ridiculous” conditions at the Erie campus. Schools must be accredited — or found to meet federal educational standards — for their students to qualify for federal money such as subsidized loans.
Fortis is arguing that claims in the letter are false and that the Erie campus should keep its accreditation. Fortis Institute, which operates more than 40 institutes and colleges in 15 states, is a subsidiary of Education Affiliates Inc., based in Baltimore.