Information on the Closure of Vatterott Career College and L'Ecole Culinaire Memphis

STUDENTS:  
Vatterott Educational Centers, Inc. (VEC) announced on December 17, 2018 that it is closing its institutions immediately. VEC owns and operates the following institutions in Tennessee:

1. Vatterott Career College – (DPSA Institution Code 1536) in Memphis, Tennessee
2. Vatterott Career College – Appling Farms Pkwy (DPSA Institution Code 1535) in Memphis, Tennessee
3. Vatterott College – Sunset Hills (DPSA Institution Code 1594) in Sunset Hills, Missouri
4. L’Ecole Culinaire Memphis (DPSA Institution Code 1404) in Cordova, Tennessee

If you have any questions, after reviewing this webpage, please contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Division of Postsecondary State Authorization (DPSA) at 615-741-5293.

VEC WEBPAGE: VEC has posted a webpage with information that is important to its former students. The page is at www.vatterott.edu. This page contains information concerning personal property left at a VEC sites, obtaining transcripts, continuing your education, and much more. DPSA encourages you to check www.vatterott.edu frequently.

TRANSCRIPTS:
THEC has received transcripts for the two Vatterott Career College locations in Memphis and L’Ecole Culinaire Memphis. We are currently processing the transcripts for distribution. During this process you can request your transcript, and THEC will make every effort to fulfill the request within ten (10) business days of receipt of your request. For additional information see https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/academic-transcripts.html  

Vatterott Educational Centers has engaged Parchment to provide issued credentials, including transcripts, diplomas, degree verifications, and enrollment verifications. This includes student records from Court Reporting Institute, L'Ecole Culinaire, Vatterott Career College, Vatterott College, Vatterott College ex'treme Institute, and Vatterott Education Center Dallas. To place an order students can go to www.parchment.com/vatterott.

COMPARABLE PROGRAMS:

• Comparable programs provided by public institutions and institutions regulated by THEC:
  • Vatterott Career College - Memphis Locations
  • Vatterott Career College - Sunset Hills, Missouri
  • L'Ecole Culinaire Memphis
• As to public institutions, you can visit https://www.tbr.edu/academics/programs and search by Program Name to learn more about state community college and Tennessee colleges of applied technology offerings.
• Transferability of Credits: You should never assume that credits will transfer to or from any educational institution. The determination as to whether to accept credits is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

TENNESSEE RECONNECT:
Please go to https://www.tnreconnect.gov/ to learn more about opportunities available through Tennessee Reconnect.

FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS AND PELL GRANTS:
The United States Department of Education (USDOE) has created a closed school communications portal for Vatterott Career Colleges and L’Ecole Culinaire. These webpages contain information concerning closed schools generally as well as specific information about your institution. To access the general page please go to:  StudentAid.gov/closures. For the institution specific pages go to: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/closed-school#list.

VETERANS:
Please visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/FGIB/Restoration.asp to learn more about your options. Some benefit eligibility may be restored depending on the details of the closing and your particular circumstances.

TUITION GUARANTY FUND:
The TGF was established by the Tennessee General Assembly to reimburse students at certain postsecondary educational institutions that close without earning the tuition collected. This is called unearned tuition.

 Important points:

1. TGF applies only when the closing institution is authorized by THEC and (1) a student attended a physical location of the school in Tennessee or (2) a student is a Tennessee resident and attended a location of the institution outside of Tennessee.
2. A claim for reimbursement of the unearned tuition must be made within two years of the date the institution discontinued operations.
3. Unearned tuition includes tuition, registration, general graduation, activity, or other fees that are required to be paid by all students where the institution did not complete the educational obligation or reimburse students.
4. Monies paid for tangible goods, such as books and equipment, are not reimbursable.
5. Monies paid for program specific costs are not reimbursable by the TGF, e.g. certification fees charged separately to a student's account.
6. Monies for expenses such as housing, meals, clothing and transportation, not paid directly to and retained by the institution are not reimbursable.

If you believe you fall into one of these two situations you can file a TGF claim by completing the Tennessee Tuition Guaranty Fund (TGF) Claim Application and the related Tuition Guaranty Fund (TGF) Information Release Authorization. Before filing a claim, please contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Division of Postsecondary State Authorization at 615-741-5293. Note that both documents must be completed before THEC will consider your claim. The length of time to review a claim will depend on the number of complaints received and the process could be lengthy. To download the forms, please visit the DPSA Links and Forms page and click on the DPSA Applications/Forms. 

Additional Resources

• College Pays - Information on financial aid and Tennessee-specific grants and scholarships.
• Launch My Career TN – Information on colleges and majors from institutions across Tennessee.
• Jobs4TN – Information for job seekers from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development