Ed Department alerts ECA students to transfer, discharge options

The U.S. Department of Education has begun providing information to some 20,000 students displaced by the sudden closure of most campuses under the for-profit college operator Education Corporation of America (ECA). Affected students can transfer to another school, apply for a loan discharge or contact their local state education agencies for more options.ECA, which operated Virginia College and Brightwood Career Institute, now lists on its website partnering colleges by state for transfer students. They include locations of the for-profit Fortis Colleges and Institutes, the for-profit Lincoln College of Technology and Remington College (once a for-profit, now designated as a nonprofit), among several other institutions.ECA informed the Ed Department on Dec. 5 that it would end instruction at its campuses by the close of the current academic term. The abrupt shutdown prompted some employees to sue ECA over alleged violations of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.