SAN DIEGO — Thousands of students are still reeling from the abrupt closures of for-profit colleges like I.T.T Tech and Corinthian.
And now, another one just went under.
Abby Wolf found out just before New Year's Day. She'd been commuting from Escondido to Riverside County four times a week to Sage College, where she was working toward a degree to become a court reporter.
Then she got a letter saying it was all coming to an end.
"Effective immediately, it is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Sage College," said the letter, signed by two of the school's executive directors.
The letter says that Sage's accrediting agency, the Accrediting County for Independent Colleges and Schools, lost an appeal to the U.S. Department of Education to continue operating. The letter says the school is no longer accredited and is shutting down.
Wolf, who was half way through the two-year program, says she is trying to stay positive. She has already spent $12,000 on tuition, some through student loans.
"The teachers there are so ready to help you and they want to see you succeed, and so it was just nice to have that support group there," she said.
Sage, estimated to have 360 students, is the latest for profit college to close without notice. Last year, I.T.T Tech shuttered after the federal government said it wasn't allowed to enroll students with federal financial aid.
Corinthian Colleges shut down in 2015 amid fines and accusations that it falsified data.
Sage's letter, signed by Lauren Somma and Sharon Goupil, says the closure has to do with the accrediting agency and is not specific to Sage.
No one answered the phone at Sage College Tuesday. A recording instead points people seeking more information on the closure to its website. A call to the accrediting agency was not returned.
