It was about this time last year when I decided to go back to school at Everest College. I had my career plans all planned out -- I would get my paralegal degree then go to law school. I started classes in January, but things went downhill pretty quickly after that.

It didn’t take long before it was clear to me that this school was using students for its own financial gain. Scamming them by overcharging for services -- used or not used. Lying about job placement data. Altering attendance records. I even received good grades for work that I didn’t do! I got more out of preschool than this college.

Many students have been getting out ASAP, but it’s not so simple -- many of us are stuck with loans and can only receive limited financial aid due to preexisting debt. The company has agreed to a government plan to shut down or sell its campuses, but that’s not enough for students like me who are now left scrambling to figure out what’s next. Please, US Department of Education, allow for Corinthian Colleges students to discharge their loans so we won’t be further victimized by this company’s selfish and terrible business practices.

Corinthian Colleges, which manages a number of colleges like Everest, has more than 72,000 students and more than 100 campuses in the US and Canada. Many of those students that I know feel like the school has forced them into risky loans. Alumni are concerned that their degrees have no value.  It’s so unfair that this company took advantage of its students who entrusted them with their educations. We came to school to get a step up, not take several steps backward.

Fortunately, Corinthian is facing a lot of scrutiny from several state and federal investigators and regulators. I’m glad to see that Corinthian Colleges is on its way to being shut down. Corinthian has failed, but that doesn’t mean that students should be penalized for things that were out of their hands. Please help us by signing this petition to ask the Department of Education to discharge our loans! Thank you so much.