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College closing leaves students in limbo, worried about how they will finish their degrees

Brown Mackie College in Akron closing next month
Posted at 3:29 PM, Sep 02, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-02 17:52:28-04

Students at Brown Mackie College in Akron are left with little recourse after the school notified them that it will close on Oct. 31 after failing to renew its lease on the building.

Amber Jurrius is a student at Brown Mackie whose college career has hit a major roadblock due to the closure.

Jurrius attends Brown Mackie in Akron, a for-profit college with a private ownership group.

Jurrius, a medical assistant student, was shocked when the college sent out an email informing students the college is closing Oct. 31.

"I don't know how I am going to finish, am I going to finish, and all this worry came straight to me,” Jurrius said.

The email also informed students they could transfer to the college's Canton location, more than 20 miles away.

But, that commute poses problems for Jurrius.

"It's not easy at all, I don't have my own car yet, and that's about an hour drive from my house. I can't do that every day, especially in the winter,” Jurrius said.

The college told students it’s closing because their building lease is not being renewed.

Brown Mackie’s parent company, Education Management Corporation, has had legal problems in the past.

Just last year they settled a class action lawsuit in 39 states, including Ohio, where they had to forgive ten million dollars in student loans.

The state attorney general's office accused the college of misleading students about graduation rates and the ability to transfer credits.

Jurrius is left in limbo after paying $25,000 dollars for a 15-month program.

She may not be able to finish the program she invested in because the Akron facility is closing, and she's finding it difficult to transfer her credits.

A spokesperson from the college returned a call from newsnet5.com, but offered little information.