Source: CCO News Release via Academica
Citing financial concerns, Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has suspended the operations of Everest College, a private career college with 14 locations in the province. Approximately 2,400 students and 450 staff have been affected by the move. Everest College is owned by the US-based Corinthian Colleges, which has been under investigation by the US government. The province said that it has allocated $3 M for students who wish to apply for refunds; students may also be eligible to transfer their tuition to comparable programs. “Our first concern is for the students and faculty affected by the suspension of all Everest College campus activities,” said Minister Reza Moridi. Corinthian spokesperson Joe Hixson said that Ontario’s action took the company by surprise. “We were informed this morning, just like the students were,” he said. “We’ve been working with the ministry for the past few months to try to find a path forward, so this came, in our mind, out of nowhere.” In a statement, Career Colleges Ontario (CCO) said that “this cessation is an adverse result of the US parent company… terminating its operations in the United States last year… CCO is diligently working alongside the MTCU to transfer existing Everest College students to alternative career colleges, while ensuring that all current students are properly accommodated.”