AFT’s Weingarten on Closure of ITT Technical Institute

Washington—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the closing of all ITT Technical Institute campuses:

"ITT Tech has a long history of overpromising and underdelivering, often leaving students with a pile of debt and few marketable skills to show for it. Thanks to strong enforcement action by the Department of Education, no more students will be misled by this predatory institution.

"Two weeks ago, we sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King asking the department to create an industrywide plan for addressing failing for-profit institutions, and the collapse of ITT Tech underscores the desperate need for a comprehensive strategy. The department’s actions show it has learned from the collapse of Corinthian Colleges, putting in place safeguards to protect students and taxpayers, but there’s a lot of work left to do to prevent these issues in the future and address the real needs of ITT Tech students. We hope the department will immediately provide all eligible students a clear and easy path to discharge their debt.

"The AFT is working hard to ensure ITT Tech students are made whole and are given a chance to pursue their dreams at a qualified institution. Not only will we continue advocating for comprehensive debt discharge for those defrauded, but we and our affiliates will be helping students directly through our student debt clinics. We are also working with partners to explore opportunities to provide free legal services to students in need and additional supports to current and former ITT Tech students."