SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has announced a settlement with a Milwaukee-based, for-profit college to resolve allegations the school failed to obtain accreditation for one of its programs.
Herzing University allegedly offered a two-year associate degree program in clinical medical assisting at its Crystal campus without obtaining accreditation from either the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The lack of accreditation allegedly kept students from taking the Certified Medical Assistant exam in an effort to obtain the certification preferred by many employers.
"Students need full and accurate information about the accreditation of a program, which can impact professional licensure and job prospects," Swanson said.
Under the terms of the agreement, Herzing will give students who enrolled in the two-year medical assisting degree program four options for restitution. Students can forfeit their credits and receive a full refund, enroll at another institution and receive a full refund for all credits that do not transfer, receive a $7,500 credit and continue their studies at Herzing or pursue any other private remedy on their own.
Herzing must also fully disclose the programmatic accreditation of any Minnesota program, fully disclose the effect on licensure or certification if students are attending a program that is not accredited, accurately disclose in all advertisements and communications the programmatic accreditation of its programs and prominently display the programmatic accreditation of its programs on its website.
Herzing completely cooperated with the inquiry made by Swanson's office.
Minnesota AG settles with Herzing University
