What happens if the college you were attending goes away?

[Nan in Mass]

We know someone who was attending one of the for profit schools that collapsed. For some reason, he left before he had quite finished his degree. What he is doing now requires no degree and he is doing fine. It was an photography degree and he is using what he learned, so he would probably tell you it was worth it. It does make one wonder, though - if he ever wanted to finish his degree somewhere else, how would he get his transcript? His is one of those horrible stories of the college advisor putting his arm over the total line on the loans and trying to get him to sign without reading anything. They refused to tell him what the costs were. Slimy slimy slimy!

 

Nan

[Mom22ns]

We know someone who was attending one of the for profit schools that collapsed. For some reason, he left before he had quite finished his degree. What he is doing now requires no degree and he is doing fine. It was an photography degree and he is using what he learned, so he would probably tell you it was worth it. It does make one wonder, though - if he ever wanted to finish his degree somewhere else, how would he get his transcript? His is one of those horrible stories of the college advisor putting his arm over the total line on the loans and trying to get him to sign without reading anything. They refused to tell him what the costs were. Slimy slimy slimy!

 

Nan

 

I had never thought of that. I had thought of what a pain it would be to transfer. How frustrating it would be because not all your credits would go with you. How sad it would be to lose community. I had not thought about long term how do you get a transcript. He could ned it to finish, he could need it for grad school, he could need it for a job... Wow. I wonder if they make some sort of provision?

 

Ds's college announced some layoffs, cut two degrees and add four others. They are struggling financially right now, but they have been around a long time and I think the odds of them weathering this are high. Your question makes me feel nervous all over again though.

[Nan in Mass]

He doesn,t even know who to contact. I am wondering if whoever shut them down made some sort of provision for this. The current students might have been told. He left a few semesters before the shutdown, though.

 

Nan

[JanetC]

Hopefully he saved something? Report cards, portfolios created for photography credits, anything?

 

A lot of these slimy schools didn't give credits that other institutions would recognize and accept from transfers, even in the best of circumstances. Maybe look for a school that gives advanced standing for his professional experience?

[abacus2]

https://answers.ed.gov/link/portal/28022/28025/Article/667/Transcripts-from-closed-schools

[AHASRADA]

My Alma mater closed after 75 years. Just couldn't break even anymore in a competitive market. But, it was a Catholic school, and the other local Catholic college took over their records. This was highly publicized and easy to figure out at the time. There should have been some announcement that would come up by Googling.

[Nan in Mass]

abacus2 and AHASRADA - Thank you. The kid in question isn't planning on going back to school at the moment, but I've known him since he was little and I can't help worrying about his future. : )  I think I will tell my son to suggest that his friend track down his records now and at least find out how to obtain them, while the closing is still fairly recent and people remember it.  That might make inquiries easier.  But if the whole thing still rankles so much that he can't bear to think about it, it sounds likely that he will, in fact, be able to obtain his records in the future if needed.  PHEW!  If nothing else, if I tell my son what he can to do when he wants them (that gov site), my son will at least remember that at one time I had some idea and when his friend complains, he'll know to tell him it is probably still possible to obtain them.  And it will keep my own son from worrying, meanwhile, which is how I got involved in the first place.  I am relieved and he will be relieved.  : )

 

Nan

[G5052]

Yes, the state is supposed to make sure the records are available, either through them or a school that takes that over.

 

Same with closed high schools. It is supposed to be handled somehow.

 

Sometimes this wasn't done years ago, and it causes a lot of problems of course.

[Starr]

If the college isn't accredited through the  state would they have to keep track of records?

[G5052]

If the college isn't accredited through the  state would they have to keep track of records?

 

Most colleges are accredited through regional accrediting organizations.

 

That said, states have rules about private schools as well, and I'm guessing that's where the rules are about keeping records.

 

When a local tech school went broke, I know that the records went to the state because I had students who had to get their transcripts that way and then have them evaluated by the state community college. Sadly, the college already had a policy of not accepting credits from that school before it closed down, so they were up a creek.

[FaithManor]

Happened to my sil. Hers was a small community college that folded due to "creative accounting". She had the option though to transfer her credits to another CC or through some state program have her student loans canceled but lose the credits. She was offered a pay raise and prmotion at work based on experience with no degree, and opted for student loan cancelation.

[Nan in Mass]

Happened to my sil. Hers was a small community college that folded due to "creative accounting". She had the option though to transfer her credits to another CC or through some state program have her student loans canceled but lose the credits. She was offered a pay raise and prmotion at work based on experience with no degree, and opted for student loan cancelation.

 

That's an interesting story!