Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos Push Devos, Illinois Community Colleges To Help Midstate College Students
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), today urged the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to take immediate steps to assist the estimated 183 students affected by the planned August 14, 2019, closing of for-profit Midstate College in Peoria, Illinois. The members, in a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, pressed ED to provide students information about eligibility and applying for closed school discharges, which is required by law.
“Under the Higher Education Act, student loan borrowers who are enrolled at the time of a school’s closure or who withdraw within 120 days of closure are entitled to have their federal student loan debt discharged. The Department must ensure that Midstate is complying with federal regulations to provide all enrolled students with a closed school discharge application and written disclosure describing the benefits and consequences of a closed school discharge as an alternative to completing their educational program through a teach-out agreement,” the members wrote.
Durbin, Duckworth, and Bustos also sent a letter today to Illinois community college presidents urging them to work with the Higher Learning Commission, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), and ED to ensure students are aware of their options to restart or continue their education at affordable institutions like community colleges.
“It would only be adding insult to injury to allow these Midstate students to be pushed into the open arms of another for-profit college, especially one that is being investigated or sued by state or federal agencies,” the members wrote.
Full text of today’s letter to ED is available here.
Full text of today’s letter to community college presidents is available here.