Recently, HearSay with Cathy Lewis explored the effects that the closure of ITT Technical Institute has had on students in Hampton Roads and heard from representatives of local community colleges about their efforts to help. Here are five things all former ITT Tech students should know as they decide their next steps.

 

1. Colleges may be able to use unofficial transcripts to evaluate your transfer credits.

It is also helpful if you can provide syllabi for courses taken, said Edna Baehre-Kolovani, president of Tidewater Community College. This allows transcript evaluators to better determine if the coursework covers the same material a similar TCC course would cover.

2. You may still be required to take entrance exams.

Even after providing transcripts you may be required to demonstrate the knowledge and skills that you have gained. “Some syllabi are very vague, so it still requires one-on-one conversations or challenge exams,” Baehre-Kolovani said. The institution must assess if the courses you have previously taken produce the same learning outcomes as the ones required for their degree programs.

3. Not all students will be able to find equivalent degree programs at other local institutions.

Some colleges may not offer a degree program that is equivalent to the one you were completing, especially if your program focused on a highly technical or specialized field. For TCC, Baehre-Kolovani said programs that are often easiest to transfer credits from include medical transcription and medical billing and coding.

4. You may qualify for debt relief.

ITT Tech students may be eligible for debt relief through an option known as a “closed school discharge.” However, you should decide if this an option you want to pursue before you seek to transfer credits to another institution.“If you transfer your credits to another school and get your degree there, you cannot get your debt relieved as part of a closed school discharge,” explained Ann Larson, co-director of The Debt Collective, a grassroots organization that organizes students to fight for loan relief.

5. Local community colleges are available to help.

Many of the community colleges in the area have established websites or hotlines for former ITT Tech students to get information. Some of them have also scheduled information sessions specifically for students affected by ITT Tech’s closure. Below are some resources for local students.

Tidewater Community College: Website | Hotline: 757-822-1669

Thomas Nelson Community College: Website | ITT FAQ page

Rappanhanock Community College: Website

Department of Education Resource: NextStepsEdu.org

Listen to the full discussion from HearSay with Cathy Lewis.

 

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