Everest College students in Windsor in limbo as school closes

Windsor students attending Everest College are angry and frustrated about thedecision to shut down the U.S.-based chain of schools.

On Thursday, the superintendent of private career colleges, the independent regulator that governs schools like Everest and others in the province, said it has suspended the chain's licence to operate in Ontario as a private college, effective immediately.

Everest College has 14 private career schools across Ontario, including one in Windsor.

The office "can propose to revoke a private career college's registration if [the superintendent] no longer satisfied that it can be expected to be financially responsible in its operation as a private career college, considering its current financial position," the regulator said in a statement.

No other reason for the shutdown was given.

Amanda Hunter found out five minutes before her class started that the college was shutting down.

She took out a $19,000 OSAP loan to enrol in Everest College's a personal support worker program.

"I got a young child at home. I'm trying to support her. We're all trying to better ourselves and move forward in
a city that's already hard to find jobs and we were assured when we signed up there was nothing wrong with the school," she said.

She said Everest assured her she would graduate and receive her diploma when she enrolled. Now, she's not so sure.

"I think that it's manipulative, I think that it's conniving, I think that they're just trying to get our money," she said.

Jessica Laramie of Leamington, Ont., is also enrolled in the personal support worker program. She had three weeks remaining in her placement before graduating. Now, that's up in the air.

"Either I can go back to Tim Hortons or I can go back on welfare or they can send me to another school so I can finish," she said.

Mike Cousineau just started his law enforcement foundations program at Everest College two weeks ago. He left a job to pursue a career as a police officer.

"That's been my dream. And I kind of feel like my dream's been crushed," he said. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

Reza Moridi, the minister of training, colleges and universities for the province said students will be able to transfer to other nearby colleges or receive a refund on tuition.

"We will make sure students will be transitioned as smoothly as possible and that's why ministry officials are on the ground today as the college was shut down and also we have set up a 1-800 number so the students can call that number and if they have any questions or if they need any assistance and the ministry officials will be there to assist them in by any means they can," Moridi said.

St. Clair College offering help

St. Clair College said it will consult with former Everest students on Saturday to discuss potential transfers.

The college's registrarand continuing education offices will be available Saturday Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the school's south campus to meet with students.

They are asked to bring their Everest transcripts.

Announcement came as "complete surprise"

Joe Hixson is a spokesperson for Everest College and said the announcement came as a "complete surprise."

"If we thought this was a real possibility, I think it's fair to say we would not have been continuing enrolments. We really thought that there was going to be a path forward for the students and for the staff," he said.

Nixson did not comment on whether or not students would be refunded.

He said the college had been working with the province of Ontario for months to come up with a "continuity plan" for teachers and students.

Now the college is determining what the next steps will be for the more than 2,400 students who attend Everest College across the province.