FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2016) – Students enrolled at Medtech College in Lexington when it closed on Aug. 23 may be eligible for reimbursement of personal student debt through the Student Protection Fund (SPF) administered by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education (KCPE).
This potential reimbursement may include tuition, books and fees for services paid for but not received from the school. In addition, all former students can get copies of their school records, including transcripts, through KCPE.
KCPE is charged with licensing and regulating all proprietary schools doing business in Kentucky, except for those that offer a four-year bachelor’s degree. In addition, it administers the SPF, which reimburses eligible students (either enrolled or on qualifying leave of absence) in the event a school closes, loses its accreditation/license or discontinues a program. The work of the commission is funded entirely through fees paid by licensed institutions.
“The fund provides a financial recourse for qualified students who have taken personal student debt to pay for school,” said Misty Edwards, executive director of KCPE in the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. “A claim against the fund must be made within one year of the school or program closing, so it is important for active students to contact KCPE for student records and to complete the forms soon.”
“We have sent information to all of the 142 students who were enrolled at Medtech on Aug. 23 when the school in Lexington closed to offer them assistance in getting school records and information on reimbursement through the Student Protection Fund. Approximately 30 percent of those students have contacted the commission to obtain transcripts and information.”
Medtech officials turned over all student records to KCPE in September after it closed its location at 1648 McGrathiana Parkway in Lexington. Students need the records to transfer to another postsecondary school, file a claim with SPF, verify education or make inquiries with the U.S. Department of Education. Transcripts cost $5 each and can be requested at http://kcpe.ky.gov.
If you are a former student of Medtech in Lexington and believe that you are eligible to file a claim against the SPF, please visit http://kcpe.ky.gov and submit a Form for Claims against the Student Protection Fund along with supporting documentation. KCPE will review these claims for eligibility on a case by case basis. You also can contact KCPE at 502-564-4185 or send an email to [email protected].
Medtech students who received federal financial aid instead of a personal loan may be eligible for a closed school loan discharge. Students can visit https://studentaid.ed.gov for more information about this option.
“Regulating proprietary schools in Kentucky and helping students in these unfortunate situations is the purpose of the commission, so we encourage people affected by the Medtech closure to contact us for assistance and receive their transcripts for any future action,” said Edwards.
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