by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel

The sudden closure of ITT Technical Institute in September interrupted the lives of tens of thousands of students who were promised a path to a more secure future. Some had just started their higher education with the for-profit school and others were just a few classes away from earning a degree. All are finding themselves in the difficult position of having to start over or try to transfer credits from a school marred by allegations of fraud.

One group of 82 students who were in the nursing program at ITT Tech’s Salem, Va., campus are a prime example of the predicaments facing the 35,000 people the shutdown displaced. Though all of the colleges offering registered nursing in the region say they want to help, none will accept credits from ITT Tech’s nursing courses, leaving students with little hope of completing their degrees.