ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is asking the federal government to protect students in the wake of an announcement by the for-profit college chain ITT Technical Institute that it was shutting down its U.S. campuses.
Balderas raised his concerns in a letter sent Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Education. He also called on New Mexico’s congressional delegation to investigate the sudden closure.
The school said on September 6 that it could not survive recent sanctions by the Education Department.
The chain was banned Aug. 25 from enrolling new students who used federal financial aid, because, federal officials said, the company had become a risk to students and taxpayers.
The department also ordered ITT to pay $152 million within 30 days to help cover student refunds and other liabilities if the chain closed.