HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the availability of information and resources for students affected by the sudden closure of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division.
On March 8, 2019, the two schools, which were owned by Dream Center Education Holdings, LLC, abruptly closed. Due to the sudden nature of this closing, hundreds of Pennsylvania students have been left with numerous questions regarding their transcripts, loans and transferring credits.
“The sudden closure of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh has left hundreds of students across the Commonwealth in limbo about their academic futures, and my Bureau of Consumer Protection is actively looking for answers for them,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “My office is working closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help students and their families get answers to their questions and move forward with their academic careers. We will provide updates for students as we receive more information.”
Attorney General Shapiro is instructing affected students to see the below links for assistance:
- Art Institute of Pittsburgh: Information regarding who to contact for transcripts and other information.
- Pennsylvania Department of Education: Information for Art Institute students planning to continue education.
- S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid Office: Information related specifically to closure of Art Institutes.
- S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid Office: Information regarding eligibility for discharging federal student loans
All students are encouraged to carefully explore their transfer options, particularly with an eye toward cost and quality. For-profit schools are required to disclose cost and performance information. Usually this information is located on each school’s website under “consumer information” and/or “gainful employment disclosures.” Students are also encouraged to consider public institutions, such as local community colleges, that may offer lower cost alternatives. In all instances, students should be careful to make sure they fully understand whether a school they are considering will accept a transfer of credits already earned. Finally, as noted in the above resources, transferring to another institution could impact your ability obtain a closed school discharge.
Students who require more information or otherwise believe they have been subject to unfair or deceptive practices by an educational institution are encouraged to file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General at www.attorneygeneral.gov . They can also call 800-441-2555 or email scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
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