Help Piles Up For ITT Tech Students, Employees
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana’s higher education leaders say they are working together with the state to provide options to hundreds of displaced students and workers affected by the closure of ITT Technical Institute. Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Steve Braun says his department will work to pair hundreds of displaced employees with WorkOne staff to connect them with employment and training opportunities. WGU Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College leaders say the schools will take prior learning and work experience into account while helping students find options for accelerated degrees.
WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber tells Inside INdiana Business the group is looking to help students "as a community of higher ed leaders." That group was assembled by Higher Education Commissioner Teresa Lubbers and also includes leaders from INdiana Wesleyan University, Harrison College and Oakland City University.
Carmel-based ITT Educational Services Inc. announced last week it would permanently shut down. The move came shortly after the U.S. Department of Education banned the school from receiving federal financial aid because of its failure to meet accreditation standards. In Indiana, the move impacted more than 1,000 students and 662 employees.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education says its website can serve as a starting point with students with questions about their options. It says resources there include financial options and contact information for partner colleges.
Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann says the school will host a series of events at campuses throughout the state where former ITT Tech students can meet with representatives from all of the participating colleges. The first is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Ivy Tech Indianapolis campus. More details are available here.