BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Jan. 13 that the U.S. Department of Education will forgive loans for nearly 4,500 student who were allegedly victimized by the now-defunct American Career Institute (ACI) in Massachusetts.
“ACI was a predatory, for-profit school that admitted to breaking Massachusetts law and lying to its students. Today these students are finally getting the relief they deserve,” Healey said. “I thank Education Secretary John B. King and the department for utilizing its authority to grant immediate group relief to our students, and the dedicated lawyers and investigators in my office for building the case against ACI. Our office will continue to help students struggling with unaffordable debt and hold predatory schools accountable for their illegal conduct.”
ACI purportedly conducted deceptive and illegal practices. Students who attended ACI schools in Braintree, Cambridge, Framingham, Springfield and Woburn will have their loans discharged. Additionally, students can pursue reimbursements for loan debt already paid.
“Today’s announcement means 4,500 Massachusetts students who were cheated by this predatory for-profit school will finally see their student debt nightmare come to an end,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “Healey and I worked hard to secure discharges for these students based on the evidence of illegal fraud her office uncovered, and we’re going to keep fighting for loan cancellations for other defrauded students in Massachusetts and across the country.”