Argosy University (Chicago) Information



Argosy University (Chicago) Frequently Asked Questions

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Department of Education Webinars:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/dream-center-webinars.pdf.

Effective March 8, 2019, Argosy University – Chicago has ceased all operations and abruptly closed. Previously, Argosy University – Schaumburg Campus announced closure and ceased enrollments as of July 2, 2018. The institution closed on December 28, 2018; students completed their programs or transferred to Argosy University – Chicago.

As of January 18, 2019, Argosy University – Chicago entered into Federal Receivership based on the inability of its current owner, Dream Center Education Holdings, LLC, to meet its outstanding financial obligations. Immediately following, the U.S. Department of Education (“ED” or the “Department”) placed Argosy University on Heightened Cash Monitoring Level 2(“HCM2”) and then issued a letter which ended Argosy’s participation federal student aid programs. Additionally, WASC Senior College and University Commission (“WSCUC”), the institution’s regional accreditor, placed Argosy on Show Cause for noncompliance with Standard 3 of the 2013 Handbook of Accreditation Revised. Based on all of these actions, the Illinois Board of Higher Education also launched an investigation on January 24, 2019, conducted two site visits, issued a memo on February 26, 2019 to all students, and on March 5, 2019, voted to appoint a hearing officer

Argosy University’s Closure Letter:

Visit link

Campus Announcement on March 6, 2019:

Visit link

Teach-Out and Transfer Partners:

Please visit the link to view the transfer partners. Additionally, please refer to the following links for additional options outside of the State of Illinois:

APA Online Directory of Accredited Programs
CACREP for CACREP-accredited transfer institutions
Argosy University - transfer partners

Accreditation:

Argosy University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, California, 94501, http://www.wscuc.org ).

Statement from WASC: https://www.wscuc.org/news/information-argosy-university-students

Higher Learning Commission (HLC):

https://www.hlcommission.org/download/_PublicStatements/20190321%20Update%20Public%20Statement%20on%20Argosy%20University.pdf

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC):

http://www.sacscoc.org/Argosy.asp

Licensure:

IBHE is working with Illinois Department of Federal and Professional Regulation on licensure questions/concerns. Please check back.

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs CACREP:

CACREP has been closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation at Argosy University and has been in communication with students, faculty, and administration. We are determining guidelines in  support of CACREP-accredited programs that will be accepting transfer students from Argosy and plan to have this available by the end of the week. CACREP-accredited programs

Statements from APA:

https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/about/coa/coa-argosy-statement
https://www.apa.org/apags/argosy

Information for International Students:

Argosy students who are in Active status may seek the following:

• Seek a change of status,
• Enroll in another qualified program of study at an SEVP certified school, or
• Depart the United States.

Nonimmigrant students who have questions about their options should call the SEVP Response Center at 703-603-3400. This number is staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The response center can assist with the facilitation of transfer to SEVP-certified schools where the students have accepted admission.

Please refer to our School Search page to find schools certified by SEVP to enroll nonimmigrant students. F-1 nonimmigrant students must enroll in a full course of study at an SEVP-certified school in order to maintain their nonimmigrant status.

What are teach-out plans and transfer options?

Teach-out plans are agreements between Argosy University and one or more institutions that articulate the credits taken at Argosy and how those credits will be applied to the academic plans of students who transition to receiving institution(s).

Transfer options refer to institutions in the area that might have a comparable program to a program of study offered by Argosy University (Chicago) or are willing to individually work with affected students.

Argosy Online Transcripts:

Argosy University Online transcripts are housed at the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. Please email Kevin La Mountain for assistance at kevin.lamountain@azppse.gov

Argosy University (Chicago and Schaumburg) Transcripts:

Visit this link to receive information on how to request a transcript.

Federal Financial Aid for SPRING 2019 Term:

The Department of Education (ED) is in the process of discharging all federal loans for the spring 2019 semester and resetting Pell Eligibility. If you are trying to enroll at another institution and are having trouble processing your financial aid application, please contact FSA at 1-844-651-0077 or visit this website . Please see additional links below about your questions related to loan discharge beyond this semester.

Refunds:

The receiver has not announced any plans to reimburse current or former students for paid tuition.  Please see the link below regarding filing a complaint.

What are the eligibility requirements for loan discharge if Argosy University (Chicago) closes?

The link below will provide the eligibility requirements for loan discharge and the Illinois Attorney Generals’ Office provides assistance through a Student Loan Helpline.

Visit this link to evaluate the eligibility requirements for discharge of Federal Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) Program loans, or Federal Perkins Loans. This information does not apply to non-federal student loans. For those loans, please contact lenders directly for options and to understand repayment obligations.

The Illinois Attorney General’s office created the Student Loan Helpline (1-800-455-2456; TTY: 1-800-964-3013) to provide student borrowers with free resources about repayment options and information on avoiding default. Borrowers can also call to file consumer complaints regarding issues with the billing and servicing of their loans. IBHE encourages all students concerned about federal loans to call the hotline.

Students who attended a school who believe they were defrauded or that their school otherwise violated applicable state law may be eligible for discharge (loan forgiveness). Please visit this link for assistance.

Resolving Loan Disputes: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/disputes

Employee Complaints:

Affected employees may file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office (hotline: 844-740-5076). The Illinois Attorney General’s office will not forward the names of employees to Argosy University that file a complaint.

Illinois Department of Labor:

Employees should file a wage claim on-line at https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Pages/default.aspx

Instructions:

Each employee will need to create an on-line ID and PW (there’s a link on the page that will allow them to do that) then navigate back to the original page and click on the words “Online Form”, which will bring them to a log-in page where they enter their new log-in info to access the form. From there on, it should be pretty self-explanatory.

Student Complaints:

Students may also file a complaint by visiting this link

Veterans Affairs Benefits:

Please take the time to understand whether you may be eligible for restoration of VA benefits by reviewing the information at the following link and submitting the attached form to the federal VA: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/fgib/restoration.asp . The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs may be able to assist you with completing the attached form or advising you with any other veteran benefits questions. If you require additional assistance, please reach out to Dan Wellman at DAN.WELLMAN@illinois.go or 217-782-7838.

ASSISTANCE FROM ILLINOIS STUDENT ASSISTANCE COMMISSION (ISAC):

Former Argosy University and The Art Institutes students can find Closed College Information at http://www.isac.org/students/after-college/repaying-your-student-loans/closed-colleges-information.html . Students seeking information on other college and career options or student financial aid can access the ISAC website at http://www.isac.org/students/during-college/applying-for-financial-aid/ Contact information for the nearest ISACorps members, who are recent college graduates trained to assist students with the college planning and financial aid processes, is available at http://www.isac.org/students/before-college/isacorps/index.html


General Questions for the Illinois Board of Higher Education: Please email info@ibhe.org      3/19/2019