July 19, 2023
Joseph L. Garcia, Executive Director
Education Service
Veterans Benefits Administration
Via email
Re: Hussian College Closing
Dear Director Garcia,
We write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the appropriate State approving agencies (copied on this letter) to take action to protect student veterans attending Hussian College. Hussian College announced on June 12, 2023, that it “cannot continue to operate except to complete instruction for students in the internship or clinical portions of their programs.”[1] According to Hussian’s accreditor, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, “Thereafter, it is expected that the institution will wind down and eventually cease all operations.”[2] Hussian has locations in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee,[3] but currently the GI Bill Comparison Tool shows approval only for California[4] and Pennsylvania.[5]
VA needs to ensure that students using VA educational benefits at Hussian College are fully informed of their rights to restoration of benefits. We also respectfully request that VA include an alert on the GI Bill Comparison Tool that warns prospective students that the school has announced it is closing down. Further, VA should address potential violations of 38 U.S.C. §§ 3696 and 3690 by Hussian College, which appears to be continuing to recruit new enrollees even though it is closing down.
We are grateful that the Pennsylvania State approving agency has posted information setting-forth students’ options in light of Hussian College’s closing.[6] The information regarding veterans’ entitlement to restoration of their GI Bill benefits, however, contains a link to a defunct VA webpage. The information should be updated to include a link to the correct VA restoration webpage, https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Restoration.asp.
Likewise, we urge VA to update the GI Bill Comparison tool to include Hussian College’s announcement that it is discontinuing operations. Prospective students consulting the GI Bill Comparison Tool are entitled to know the status of the school and the Comparison Tool does not contain any such alert. This is particularly important when Hussian College may not be alerting prospective students that it is closing.[7]
We also want to alert you that Hussian College may be continuing to recruit students, particularly at its California location. Notwithstanding that the information from the accreditor suggests that all Hussian College locations are closing, the Hussian College-LA website has a banner across the top announcing: “APPLICATIONS FOR FALL/WINTER 2023 ARE NOW OPEN!”[8] A California state agency reports being notified that the Los Angeles, California location closed on June 9 with the last day of instruction having been May 4, 2023.[9] We urge VA to confirm the status of the California location and assure that student veterans are getting the information they need, including information about their entitlement to restoration of benefits. Moreover, further investigation is warranted into any potential violations of 38 U.S.C.§§ 3696 and 3690 if it appears Hussian College continued to enroll student veterans while in the process of ceasing operations.
Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters.
Respectfully,
Della M. Justice
Vice President for Legal Affairs
cc:
NASAA
Division of Veterans / Military Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PA SAA)
California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE)
Ohio Department of Veterans Services (OH SAA)
Veterans Education, Tennessee Higher Education Commission (TN SAA)
[1] Hussian College – Guidance for Students, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, available at https://www.accsc.org/Student-Corner/Hussian-College-Guidance-for-Students.aspx (last retrieved July 17, 2023).
[2] Id.
[3] Because the GI Bill Comparison Tool does not provide historical information for closed schools or schools that lose approval, it is difficult to determine whether there are any student veterans at the Ohio and Tennessee locations impacted by the school’s closure, i.e. if the programs in these locations had been approved for GI Bill until just recently. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission is the State approving agency for GI Bill benefits, and it has posted information for students impacted by the closure of Hussian College, including a link to VA’s webpage about GI Bill restoration in the event of school closure. Information on the Closure of Hussian College available at https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/institution-closure-information-2/brightwood-college—nashville.html The Ohio SAA website does not appear to have any information regarding Hussian College.
[4] GI Bill Comparison Tool, https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/institution/21118505
[5] GI Bill Comparison Tool, https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/institution/24006938
[6] Hussian College Closure, Pennsylvania Department of Higher Education, available at https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/CollegeCareer/Pages/HussianCollegeClosure.aspx (last retrieved July 17, 2023)
[7] This Hussian College webpage https://www.hussiancollege.edu/ (last retrieved July 17, 2023) says only: “We are currently not enrolling new students.” And this Hussian College webpage https://la.hussiancollege.edu/ (last retrieved July 17, 2023) says: “APPLICATIONS FOR FALL/WINTER 2023 ARE NOW OPEN!”
[8] Hussian College, Los Angeles, https://la.hussiancollege.edu/ (last retrieved July 17, 2023) says: “APPLICATIONS FOR FALL/WINTER 2023 ARE NOW OPEN!”
[9] School Closure Informational Workshop for Hussian College Students, California Office of Student Assistance and Relief (OSAR), available at: https://osar.bppe.ca.gov/closures/hussian_college.shtml (last retrieved July 17, 2023). The OSAR information for Hussian students does not mention the possible restoration of GI Bill benefits.
Hussian College letter