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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that thousands of Ohio residents will begin receiving notice this week about their eligibility to cancel federal student loans used to attend schools operated by Corinthian Colleges, including Everest Institute, Everest College, Everest University, Heald College, and WyoTech.
Approximately 5,490 eligible Ohio residents will receive a letter explaining the available relief and how to apply for loan cancellations with the U.S. Department of Education.
“We want people to know about this opportunity,” Attorney General DeWine said. “If you qualify for this program, apply through the U.S. Department of Education, and get your federal student loan canceled, you won’t have to make additional payments on the loan, and you’ll be refunded for payments you already made.”
For-profit Corinthian Colleges abruptly ceased operations in 2015, transferring some of its campuses to a nonprofit called Zenith Education Group. The U.S. Department of Education then found that while it was operating, Corinthian Colleges made widespread misrepresentations between 2010 and 2014 about post-graduation employment rates.
Students who fall within the U.S. Department of Education’s findings of fraud and who are eligible for a special “streamlined” process to discharge their federal student loans are being notified as part of an outreach effort by the attorneys general of 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Lists of the affected programs and dates of enrollment are available on the Federal Student Aid’s website: Everest and WyoTech and Heald.
Other students who attended Corinthian Colleges and believe the school lied about job prospects, transferability of credits, or other issues may apply to have their federal student loans canceled using the Department of Education’s universal discharge application.
It may take time for the U.S. Department of Education to process applications, so any borrowers who apply for loan discharge should continue making payments on the affected loans until they are informed by the U.S. Department of Education or by their loan servicer that their federal loans have been canceled or that the loans are in forbearance while their application is pending.
Attorney General DeWine also reminded borrowers to beware of student loan scams. Borrowers can apply for loan forgiveness or find related information for free through the U.S. Department of Education. Requests for application fees or offers to cancel student loans in exchange for advance payments may be scams.
To help Ohioans navigate student loans and plan for college, Attorney General DeWine’s office provides an online Student Loan Center for prospective, current, and former college students. The online resource offers calculators to help students budget their expenses and plan loan repayments. It also addresses saving for college, exploring careers, and understanding financial aid.
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