Stratford University, an independent university in Falls Church, Virginia, is at risk of losing its accreditation and is under orders to stop enrolling new students through mid-March, News4 has learned.
The university is under scrutiny for allegedly operating an unapproved program in Irbil, Iraq. The Iraq program at Stratford is also the subject of a civil lawsuit filed this week against the school in federal court in Virginia.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations against Stratford University, the Council took the unprecedented step of requiring an immediate halt of all new enrollments and the submission of fully executed teach out agreements,” the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools wrote to Stratford in a formal letter.
If Stratford loses its formal accreditation, it would lose federal funding. Its students could lose access to Pell Grants and some student loans. The school could also lose its ability to enroll international students who attend American universities through programs operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, News4 is told.