CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Dozens of former students and graduates of ITT Tech - which has campuses in Charlotte, Durham and High Point - today are declaring a "debt strike." The civil action means they will no longer be making federal loan payments for the debt they incurred as students at the for-profit institution that shut its doors last week.
The U.S. Department of Education announced it would deny federal financial-aid payments to ITT Tech last week after receiving complaints about the school.
ITT graduate Sandra Watson, one of the debt strikers, said she has $99,000 in debt and no faith in the for-profit system.
"And it's not just them," she said. "It's for-profit in general, because they charge so much money for their degrees and a lot of them are not recognized by employers. And they're not offering the quality of education that you can get at a public school."
In North Carolina, hundreds of veterans also are affected by the ITT closure, since the school specifically marketed to them to use the GI Bill for tuition.
Federal law requires that the Department of Education discharge the loans of students who have been defrauded by a school - but as yet there has been no announcement of such a plan for ITT students. In a statement, ITT Tech said the feds neglected to follow due process of law before taking action.
According to the North Carolina Attorney General's Office, 10 complaints were filed against ITT Tech in recent years.
Laura Hanna, co-director of the Debt Collective, a national organization working to phase out for-profit colleges and universities, said many of the students didn't understand what they were signing up for.
"Many ITT Tech students are first-generation college students," she said. "There's no culture or understanding in the family of what to look out for, or understanding accreditation. That's just not part of their reality."
Watson graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2010 and said that since then she hasn't been able to find a job with her degree. She said she knows she's one of many.
"I've had second interviews and callbacks, but it's not until they realize where I went to school when I either no longer hear from them, or they decide to just straight tell me that they don't accept that school's credits or degrees," she said. "They do not look at it as a legitimate college."
According to the Debt Collective, at least 1.500 ITT Tech students have applied to the Department of Education asking for their loans to be discharged. To date, according to the group, the requests have gone unanswered. Some other for-profit institutions in the state are offering credit transfers and discounted tuition to former ITT students.
More information is online at ittstrike.com.
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Lawmakers in Olympia this session moved to add more protections for consumers against predatory loans.
Washington state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 6025 unanimously in both chambers, closing a loophole companies were using to evade caps on the amount of interest charged on loans.
Sam Leonard, an attorney in Seattle, said tech companies providing financial services such as loans would charter out of state banks, especially in Utah, where lenders can charge unlimited interest rates.
"These fintech lenders a lot of times will charge 150, 200% interest on relatively small dollar loans, $3,000, $5,000 and the like," Leonard explained.
Washington state has a set of protections called the Consumer Loan Act to shield people from predatory loans. Leonard said capping interest rates at the federal level would help people across the country.
However, he emphasized the bill goes a long way to increase protections for Washingtonians.
"Not a lot of states at this time have passed similar legislation," Leonard pointed out. "Washington is out in front of the curve with regard to protecting low-income Washingtonians or other Washingtonians that might enter into these predatory loan products."
Leonard added the issue with predatory loans is they keep people in continuous debt cycles.
"Loan products like these essentially strip low-income individuals' ability to improve their economic situation," Leonard noted.
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While there's snow in the immediate forecast, the spring storm season has arrived in Minnesota and state officials said with complaints related to homeowner insurance claims on the rise, it is important to monitor changes in policies.
The Minnesota Commerce Department said complaints from policyholders, largely stemming from their claims being denied, have more than doubled since 2020.
Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner of insurance for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, said under a changing climate, the nation is seeing plenty of extreme weather events resulting in wind and hail damage, and insurance companies are adjusting to what's happening.
"Insurance costs are going to increase," Dreier pointed out. "We do want to make sure that Minnesotans are prepared."
As some carriers narrow what is covered or require higher deductibles, Dreier urged consumers to carefully review their policy when it is up for renewal, to avoid surprises when they have to file a claim. The department acknowledged changes can slip under the radar when consumers rely on paperless statements sent via email, or with busy schedules preventing them from reading all the fine print in documents they receive.
The department emphasized it is a complicated process in getting complaints resolved, noting some can be partially reversed in favor of the homeowner. Dreier noted they work closely with the industry to make sure a company's actions are within the letter of the law.
"One of our jobs is to make sure that insurance companies aren't doing something unethical when they're submitting their policy forms to us and their rates to us for review," Dreier added.
The department does have a new video on its YouTube channel, which offers more details on how to better prepare yourself ahead of any future claims, including knowing whether your policy offers flood protection and assessing the value of items in your home.
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Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission say Wisconsin's blueprint for digital equity has been accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
That means the state is eligible for up to $30 million to implement its approach over the next five years.
Martha Cranley - state director for AARP Wisconsin - called it a robust plan, noting that older populations continue to face challenges in being connected to the digital world.
"We know that at least 15% of people 50-plus in Wisconsin are not connected," said Cranley, "either because the wires simply don't come to their house, or they don't have a device, or they don't know how to use it."
Cranley said the lack of connection is especially concerning in rural areas across northern Wisconsin, where aging communities have limited resources.
Stakeholders also note an infusion of new aid is helpful with the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program - which provides discounts on monthly internet bills for eligible households - in danger of running out of money.
Cranley said the state's plan came together following extensive public outreach, in which her organization helped convey the need for improved internet access for those 50 and older.
"They certainly heard from older people about how important this is to connect to their doctor," said Cranley, "and to connect to government services, and frankly, find employment."
Overall, Evers says the plan's federal approval means more than 410,000 homes and businesses will be better positioned to be connected to new or improved high-speed internet service.
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