Gabriel Austin, Mississippi Today
Attorney General Jim Hood
Thousands of Mississippians who attended a now closed for-profit group of colleges are eligible for student loan forgiveness, Attorney General Jim Hood announced Friday.
The U.S. Department of Education announced last spring that students who attended any of 91 Corinthian Colleges, Inc. campuses “have a clear path to loan forgiveness under evidence uncovered by the Department while working with multiple state attorneys general.”
In a Facebook post, Hood said he and at least 43 other attorneys general offices were involved.
“Nearly 6,000 Mississippians are eligible for federal student loan cancellation and will receive a letter explaining the relief available,” the post said.
Students who used federal loans to attend a Corinthian campus can find out if they are eligible for loan forgiveness here.
There are no Corinthian campuses in Mississippi. The company’s Everest, WyoTech, and Heald campuses operated in more than 20 states, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Corinthian is required to pay more than $1 billion in debt relief to students for misrepresenting job placement rates, for advertising programs that weren’t actually offered, for using military seals without authorization in advertisements, for unfair and unlawful debt collection, and other violations, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Corinthian sold most locations to Zenith Education Group before closing all remaining campuses in April 2015.
Hood advised those affected to continue paying for their loans until the Department of Education or their loan servicer notifies them that they are cancelled.
“This is a victory for students who were scammed in their efforts to further their education,” Hood said. “I hope these refunds are a relief for these thousands of former students who were taken advantage of by a for-profit college.”