The parent company of Virginia College announced Wednesday it will close its campuses over the next two weeks, almost six months ahead of the planned closure date for the NWLA location.
It was announced earlier this year that the Bossier City location in Pierre Bossier Mall would be closing in June. The Advocate reports that at the time the announcement was issued, there were 232 enrolled in the Bossier City location.
Education Corp. of America said in September it will close down more than 75 campuses by 2020.
However, the company announced Wednesday that it was closing all of its career colleges effective with the current term for most students. The company’s website says it will provide more information to students on Dec. 17.
The closure is allegedly due to unsuccessful attempts by Virginia College to receive accreditation from other organizations, poor graduation and job placement rates and high faculty turnover rates.
Diane Worthington, vice president of marketing and communications at Education Corporation of America said in the original closure announcement , “Effective immediately, we will no longer enroll new students due to insufficient demand for their programs in this market. The vast majority of current students will have the opportunity to complete their coursework and earn their diplomas or degrees as planned. They will also be able to utilize Virginia College’s Career Development services to help them pursue jobs in their field of study. If there are any students who will be unable to complete their programs at the campus prior to the closure date, we will work closely with them to transfer to another school, or they may choose to receive a full refund.”
Virginia College offers classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions, such as health and medical, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. It is owned by the Education Corporation of America, based in Birmingham, Ala.
