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American Career College Class Action Lawsuit
By Matt O’Donnell
A jilted student has filed a class action lawsuit against the American Career College claiming it kept financial aid money for itself, for services it did not provide, instead of giving the money to students.
The class action lawsuit is filed on behalf of all students who did not receive financial aid for housing and transportation, even though they qualified for it.
Plaintiff Lashara Leonard alleges in the American Career College class action lawsuit that “ACC is a college campus institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, which has been approved to participate in the Federal Student Aid Program through the United States Department of Education.”
Despite receiving federal money to give to students, Leonard claims ACC keeps it for itself.
According to the class action lawsuit, Leonard enrolled in American Career College and received a letter breaking down her tuition costs and awards of financial aid after she was accepted, but she never got any of the money.
Leonard claims the college also kept the financial aid money from hundreds of other students.
“Allowing colleges to violate the financial aid laws by failing to appropriately disburse financial aid income to the enrolled students enriches the colleges by paying for services not rendered while at the same time creating a debt for students who will be newly entering the workplace,” the class action lawsuit states.
Leonard further charges in the class action lawsuit that ACC’s college catalog misled students by claiming that total tuition costs include fees for tuition and services provided on campus, even though there are also built-in fees for housing, transportation, and personal use, which the college does not provide.
For example, the catalog lists total tuition for vocational nursing as $33,950, though tuition fees are only around $18,600, so students are charged $15,000 for services they do not actually receive. Students had no reason to believe that their tuition costs included services besides classroom instruction and campus services, the class action lawsuit says.
“Defendant ACC intended to defraud plaintiff and those similarly situated with plaintiff as evidenced by the fact that defendant ACC provided no breakdown of the $33,950 tuition; failed to advise plaintiff and those similarly situated that aid had been obtained for housing, transportation, and personal funding; failed to disburse the aid obtained for transportation, housing and personal funding to plaintiff and those similarly situated, but instead kept those funds and applied them to services ACC did not and does not provide,” states the class action lawsuit.
The American Career College class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all similarly situated students. It is seeking punitive damages and more for fraud, conversion and unfair business practices.
Updated May 30th, 2012
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16 thoughts onAmerican Career College Class Action Lawsuit
How do we get in touch with this lawyer or start our own. I have so much proof that they are fraudulent and I am mad about it
I went to American Career College and myself and my sister were over charged for service not received we never got a breakdown of the fees.
I attended this college in 2013, Long Beach, Ca Campus. I wasn’t given any help as to find employment. Also, they were still charging my Financial Aid for the rest of the year in 2014. I called financial Aid, and I was told Until I graduate, they will continue to charge my Loan. I finished my MA class in January 2014, finished my Clinical February 2014. Why keep charging me? whom can I speak to regarding this Class action suit?
I joined ACC in Anaheim and I had no clue about these preexisting issues till recently. But shortly after locking myself into their nonnegotiable contracts I have since been lied to about the setting the class will be given, defrauded for a fake loan (moneys that I never received), a victim of their use of spy-wear, and the total cost of education is not par to their quality. To top it off, they try and throw these quarterly fundraisers that I am sure they use to coverup their fraudulent revenues and pay for their “student”(but more like staff) lunch perks and benefits. Also, I am pretty sure that the student ID codes on all of our badges are linked to shell accounts that they use to hide their moneys.
I finished the Medical Assistance program and then I went to get my certificate and found that they had moved, I never found out were they went still in debt for this. Can someone please help me get justice? My email address is [email protected]
I was a graduate from American Career College Ultrasound program in 2008. American Career College promised to help find a job and did not help in any way. This was and still is very frustrating that I have outstanding loans and made payments to the school while I was attending the Ultrasound program and I’m not working as an Ultrasound Technician. Are there any class action suits against them for the Ultrasound program in 2008?
ACC kept basically all of my Cal Grant, and gave me 200 from it. I asked why they didn’t use it towards the remainder balance that financial aid didn’t cover instead. Don’t know where the money went. Also was kick out today for attendance even with a doctor’s note. I have a 3.25 GPA
Who is the atrending lawyer for this lawsuit? May we get a referral please
Who is this lawyer in charge so I can talk to them. American Career College never gave me my financial aid back in 2007. They kept it for themselves
I graduated in 2007 and never found a optical dispensing job. I even when to very far places for interviews just to get rejected. Not once did I receive a dime from American Career College from my financial aid. Sorry But this school is a scam and not only that I am still paying and my checks were garnish and my tax refund also. I am never ever going again to these trade schools. They ruined my credit
How would i get information about this lawsuit? I graduated in 2012 and was never able to find employment in the field.
Thank you so much for putting this information online. I was considering sending my daughter to this school, and there is no way in the world I would let her go to one of their training certifications after reading this.
This school is still scamming young people out of millions of $$$. Thats all this school wants. 50 students per class, things promised and never delivered, save your money and go to a REAL college, because nothing you take is transferable to any other college.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! They claimed I didn’t have the MGIB (which had proof of), coerced me into opening a loan (first ever) and then said I could not opt out, once it kicked in. I quit the school, painting a $700 termination fee and now I somehow owe over $20,000! They all should be locked up.
*once my MGIB kicked in. Also, they claimed my $40,000 MGIB wasn’t enough monthly for my $18,000 Surgical Tech Program.