Collins College Disability Neglect phoenix, Arizona
I served in the U.S. Navy and was service connected with mental health issues that involved Severe Depression and Anxiety Disorder. I had told Collins College before i signed anything that I had this disability and they assured me that they would work with me and that it shouldnt be a problem. About a year and a half into the program I had a pretty severe episode that put me in the hospital for a few days. I had been struggling for a couple of weeks and with depression I would get to the point where i literally couldnt get out of bed for weeks. I admitted myself into the hospital because things were getting to the point of a possible suicide attempt (I've had 4 which have all hospitalized me). Collins College dropped me from my classes and charged me $2500 and it went to collections. I attempted to go back to school and have the financial aid cover the balance but within the first week of school i had to drop out because i wasnt fully recovered from before and just couldnt handle it. while i was attending I gave letters from my pychiatrist stating my disability and that I was getting treated for it and i still have those letters, I made copies.
my report is the $2500 they charged me, the student loans that piled up are my fault because i failed to research the school before I signed the paper work, but they knowingly neglected my disability and demanded money from me that had been the result of my disability. They also wasted my GI bill as well. I feel ripped off and used for just profit. While most of the teachers were excellent, the administration was terrible and the school and schools like it should all be shut down.
If any lawyers think this can make a case please contact me. I figure since it involves disability, it should make a good case. So to sum it all up they neglected the fact i had a disability and dropped me from the course, then charged me $2500 that went to collections, they made me use up my GI bill, and i have letters that i gave them stating i had a disability and was being treated for it. I can provide medical records showing i have been getting treated for 3 years now and have been hospitalized multiple times from 3 days up to 4 weeks at a time.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Jeanski
Buffalo,New York,
USA
comment
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, March 31, 2012
First of all, thank you for your service. I'm sorry it resulted in a disability that affects you so severely.
Second, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) specifically states that schools must make "reasonable accomodations" for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, it doesn't really seem to address situations such as yours. A student who drops out in the middle of a course (for any reason) usually still has to pay the tuition. As long as they apply this rule to all students, it isn't discrimination.
I work for a college that serves the military and veterans. We always handle these types of cases informally within the campus administration. I'ts not unusual for our students to suddenly "disappear" due to deployments or sudden illness/injury. It happens. We generally allow the student to repeat the course at no charge, providing he pays the previous charges.
I would recommend that you call the local Office of Civil Rights, as they are the agency responsible for investigating cases such as yours. They may be able to convince the college to forgive the debt (which is actually valid) to avoid possible litigation or bad press. You should also contact your VA certifying official at the school, and HIS boss. The VA may also be able to intervene. At the very least they should be able to review the school's policy and see if it is reasonable. They can also decide not to award GI Bill to any student who attends there in the future.
You might also contact a local news paper/station and see if anyone there is interested in pursuing this. It could be the school will buckle under.
Don't give up!! I wish you good luck in the future.