AB 573, legislation which will ensure Corinthian College students have access to educational opportunity, economic relief and legal aid, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee unanimously on Tuesday. AB 573 is authored by Assemblymember Jose Medina, chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education, and coauthored by Speaker Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen.
“AB 573 will provide relief and opportunity to the estimated 13,000 California students harmed by the closure of Corinthian Colleges,” said Medina (D-Riverside). “This bill ensures all California students are fully protected.”
Existing programs are insufficient to support all California students harmed by the Corinthian Colleges closure, and evidence has come to light that students are being provided inaccurate and inconsistent information regarding their rights and their options, according to Medina’s office. Federal loan forgiveness is available to students who qualify, but only if they do not transfer any educational credits to another institution.
“Corinthian preyed on the educational dreams of vulnerable Californians and misled students about job placement rates and course offerings,” said Attorney General Kamala Harris. “Once state and federal regulators held Corinthian accountable for its predatory acts, it closed and left its students with nothing but debt. Assembly Bill 573 is a critical first step to deliver the help students need to achieve their educational goals and rebuild their lives.”
On April 26, 2015, Corinthian Colleges, Inc. announced that they had ceased operations at all Heald, Everest, and WyoTech campuses following oversight and enforcement actions by the California Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the California Student Aid Commission, the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education, the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and several other state attorneys general.
Source: Medina’s office
