The El Paso Journal
Citing financial circumstances, Vista College closed its doors and ceased operations on Friday, October 8, causing widespread discontent among its students and staff.
The measure, which was communicated by email, took by surprise the community of the educational institution that has headquarters in El Paso, Texas, as well as campuses in Beaumont, College Station, Killeen and Longview in Texas, and in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Fort Smith, Arkansas.
“Vista College has made the difficult decision to cease all operations as of October 8, 2021,” confirmed the statement that circulated among the dismayed students.
“Although we comply with both the accreditation and the state / federal regulations, we cannot continue due to financial circumstances,” says the statement that points to the economic aspects as the cause of the closure of the institution with more than 30 years of history.
Without further explanation, the school year of hundreds of students of technical careers, both face-to-face and online, were suspended, even days before the graduation of the Class of 2021 was celebrated, and which also cancels the new school year scheduled to start tomorrow Monday, October 11.
“We apologize for the sudden notice, but due to unforeseen events we could not continue with the new period on October 11 or continue with the current nursing period,” the institution subscribes in a three-page document that summarizes the options of those who are looking to transfer their credits to other institutions, as well as to those with school loans and how they might be eligible for an annulment after the school closes.
“We realize the challenges this causes for students and we are working to identify potential universities and transfer schools to complete their degrees,” it was reported.
“What the hell, you could have given us a notice to order our lives before they closed the doors and said ‘fuck it,'” said Víctor Martínez, who identified himself as a veteran of the Armed Forces and as a student enrolled in an educational program to adapt to productive life in civil society.
“Couldn’t they have told us before 4 pm on a Friday, which was convenient for them so they didn’t have to answer the phone calls of angry students,” said Samantha Renee Copenhagen, a student at Vista College.
The news became extremely serious for hundreds of students who simply do not have an orientation in this regard, since at the end of this edition there was no additional information on the website, and social networks of Vista College, while its facilities remain closed and phones with no one to answer.
“No. They can’t slam doors right in my face when I’m about to graduate, this is not done to people. They are taking away my future, my hopes and dreams. They are leaving me as an undergraduate, ”said Marco A. Compean Marín, fired up at the closure.
School loans
In a second section of the Vista College statement, the criteria for canceling school loans were discussed, specifying which cases may qualify for such an option.
“You may be eligible for 100 percent forgiveness of your William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program loans, Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) loans, or Federal Perkins Loans, if you were unable to complete your program because your school has closed, and: ”
“If the student was enrolled when school closed; if you had an approved leave of absence when school closed; and if your school closed within 120 days of your withdrawal, if your loans were first disbursed before July 1, 2020, “the statement said.
“If your educational institution closed within 180 days after your withdrawal, if your loans were disbursed for the first time on or after July 1, 2020,” he confirmed.
“Also considered eligible is the case in which the educational institution closed within 180 days after its withdrawal, if its loans were first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020,” it was said.
The release notes that students who are ineligible in exceptional circumstances, such as when withdrawal was made more than 120 days before school closed, if their loans were first disbursed before July 1, 2020; or later.
It was also said that someone who is completing a comparable educational program, who can transfer their academic credits or hours obtained in the closed school to another school, or completed all the courses of the program before the closing of the school, even if they did not receive a diploma or certificate.
For more information on this, Vista College provided the web link, studentaid.gov, to understand federal loan forgiveness options.
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