Print
Nov 18, 2008 6:24 pm US/Central
2 Investigators: School Scam Follow-Up
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Environmental Technical Institute
CBS
We have some state and federal reaction to a report by the CBS 2 Investigators on the unemployment trap caused by school scams. On Monday night Pam Zekman exposed a trade school where students say they were misled about job placement and hands-on experience. Now Pam reports investigations are underway.
The Environmental Technical Institute in Blue Island gets $10 million a year in federally subsidized student loans. To get that money, the school has to be accredited by the Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
On Tuesday, the commission's executive director said it has opened an investigation into our findings.
Experts say getting work in the heating and air conditioning field requires lots of hands-on training. ETI claims it gives students that; and has a 99 percent job placement rate as well.
Not true, says former placement officer Brenda Hudson.
"What I would get from contractors was basically, 'No, I don't want those guys here in my business.' ETI don't teach them anything. They are not learning heating and cooling," Hudson said.
Former students say now they're stuck with a stack of certificates, no job and loans to pay off.
Casey Hurn paid more than $10,000 to attend ETI.
"I had to get a loan, I had to get two grants," Hurn said.
Gerhardt Facko's parents had to sign for his loans.
"We are quite angry about paying off a loan when he has not got a job," said Gerhardt's father Gary Facko.
If ETI is not delivering on their 99 percent placement promise or the hands-on training, that could put their accreditation in jeopardy.
"I need to get a job, I got a family to feed, I got taxes to pay, I got a life to go on with," said former ETI student Ed Fowler.
And what about the Illinois Office of Education, which licenses trade schools?
A state legislator said today she's looking into whether new laws are needed to protect trade school students.
"You have to be able to provide the services that you claim you can and no false promises, that's deceptive advertising," said State Rep. Constance Howard.
A spokesperson for the new owners of ETI said they are conducting their own internal investigation of our findings. They had no comment about the reaction of the accrediting commission.
To file a complaint about ETI or other trade schools, you can contact the Illinois State Board of Education by sending an e-mail to
pbvs@isbe.net OR by mailing a complaint to 100 W. Randolph St., Ste. 14-300, Chicago, IL 60601.
If the school is approved for federally subsidized student loans, you can also file a complaint with its accrediting commission. In the case of ETI, it is the
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology. To learn more about the Pipe Fitters' Local 597 Training Center,
click here.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Video: CBS 2's Picks To Click
