In the wake of Harrison Career Institute’s closure in 2007, many students have been left paying back loans without a diploma.
Delaware resident Kim Cawley had dreams of becoming a cardiovascular technician. And in 2005, she enrolled in pharmacology classes at the Wilmington, Del., campus of the Harrison Career Institute.
In its prime, HCI had more than a dozen campuses across the Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania region. But a host of financial problems and decreasing student enrollment forced the institute to close 13 of its campuses, including the one in Wilmington.
Although the campus permanently shut its doors in 2007, Cawley says she’s still being forced to repay about $10,000 in student loans. Cawley is one of hundreds of students — including many minorities — across the country who have acquired student loan debt with the end goal of earning a much-desired credential.
But Cawley says she shouldn’t have to pay for a credential she didn’t receive.
“I’m paying on student loans, and I didn’t get a certification or diploma or anything … I’m sending them money for education purposes that I did not get, and I feel that it’s fraud,” says Cawley. “The Harrison Career Institute just shut its doors and walked away.”
