HARTFORD, Conn. — Stone Academy will soon be closing its doors after decades of being a private career school in Connecticut.
The school notified the state's Office of Higher Education (OHE) last week of its decision to close all three of its campuses in West Haven, Waterbury and East Hartford. The 845 or so students were notified of the closure Tuesday afternoon.
The exact day of closure is still up in the air, but will be no later than March 27, according to officials.
The school was known for its practical nursing program.
“The Office of Higher Education has been notified by Stone Academy that it intends to close,” said Timothy D. Larson, Executive Director of the Office of Higher Education in a statement. “For many months, our office has been working with the school to address a number of serious compliance issues that included unqualified faculty, invalid student clinical experiences and recording attendance.”
The OHE is offering guidance to affected students as the school closes, including "accessing transcripts, tuition refunds, loan discharges and adjustments to veteran’s benefits, and providing support for those students who intend to continue their course of study at another school."
The office is also evaluating a series of complaints regarding the quality of education at Stone Academy and the below 80% pass rate across the three campuses.
"At a time when we need nurses more than ever, I'm disappointed in Stone Academy's closing, but I'm also disappointed in Stone Academy's lack of proper education among nursing students," said State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee.
Students who have paid out of pocket for tuition, due to the school’s closure, may be eligible for a partial refund. To apply for a refund from the State of Connecticut Student Protection Account, click here.
Refunds will be proportional to the portion of the program not yet completed. For example, a student that has completed 50% of their program, will receive a refund of half of the tuition paid. Refunds will be for tuition only; no refunds will be issued for fees or supplies.
This is a developing story.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.