A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of current and former students and has charged Elmira Business Institute (EBI) with deceptive promotion and financial aid practices, exercising total control over grants and loans made to students and placing undue pressure on students to immediately enroll, even before the academic or financial status of the prospective students was known to its admissions staff. EBI allegedly told students academic credits earned at the education facility would transfer to other creditable schools; they do not. EBI also allegedly told students they would qualify for financial aid through the federal Trade Readjustment Act; students were signed up under false pretenses and they were sold something the institute did not have at the time.
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Reader Comments
Posted by
Justine Luckie
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Justine Luckie
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Complete scam school
Posted by
Justine luckie
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Justine luckie
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I need to know who to contact about this matter what attorneys are handling it
Posted by
Korin Hubbert
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Korin Hubbert
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Does anyone know if this lawsuit is still being disputed I too graduated from EBI Vestal Campus in 2011 and am now understanding this school did not offer what they stated and now I am unable to get a job in my field of study without schooling all over!
Posted by
David Shaylor
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David Shaylor
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This school was a thieving joke, ripping off people and our degrees are worthless. Any student that attended this school should be able to have their loans erased.
Posted by
Tasha Milo (at the time)
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Tasha Milo (at the time)
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I attended EBI, not once but twice.Last attendance was 2003. I would like to know what I have to do get all Loans forgiven. I didn’t know about a lawsuit or class action. I wasted time there when I could have been someplace else.
Posted by
Joseph M Polson
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Joseph M Polson
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Ebi never help me find. Job $35000 in the Hole
Posted by
Holly Schoonover
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Holly Schoonover
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What’s going on with these lawsuits because I attended years ago and still paying loans that was told I wouldn’t have because of financial aide would cover it now years later I’m still paying it if there closed I don’t think I should have to pay it that’s ridiculous and not right
Posted by
Helen Rhodes
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Helen Rhodes
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Was convinced to sign despite not understanding English as first Language. (I speak Bisaya first), or able to do compound interest. Business math was why I could not completely finish Associates. I nearly failed. How fair is it to be paying pack 10 years later when I couldn't understand English or Math hundred percent?
Posted by
Kendra Jacobson
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Kendra Jacobson
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Graduated from EBI in 2003 at the Elmira NY campus. Was told my credits would transfer as well. When I went to apply for the RN program was told my credits don’t transfer as this school is not accredited I have been taking classes slowly. If I knew this I would not have attended this school.
Posted by
Kevin
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Kevin
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I went to EBI in Elmira Campus in 2012. I was told this was an accredited school. My classes were a joke. I had new teachers almost every single week. The woman who ran the place was beyond rude. Now i have over $20,000 in student loans that i can barely pay because i was "promised" a job in my field. The woman who was the finance teacher i later found out she was in real estate. My internship was a joke. This school should be shut down on all campuses for fraud. The government should forgive me student loans and Kathleen Hamilton and all other owners should be put in jail.
Posted by
Cortney
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Cortney
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Does anyone know what happened to the lawsuit against EBI!
I attended EBI from 2011-2013. I’ve had MANY bad experiences with EBI. Wondering if we could get many people together and possibly have another lawsuit!?
I attended EBI from 2011-2013. I’ve had MANY bad experiences with EBI. Wondering if we could get many people together and possibly have another lawsuit!?
Posted by
Barbara baker
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Barbara baker
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I went to EBI in 2012 now it is closing I should not have to pay the money back and it should be payed off by the government I am fighting right now to get it squashed
Posted by
Carrie
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Carrie
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I also attended EBI back in 2006 I graduated in 2008. I also can’t fibd a job in my field that I went to school for. I work a part time job and can’t afford to pay back loans let alone rent. They told us they would find job placement which never happened. I did an externship they put us in the billing and insurance claims department which I was going to school for medical office assistant not medical billing. Even after all these years I can not make loan payments it’s crazy.
Posted by
Amanda Kildare-Cummings
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Amanda Kildare-Cummings
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I left my management position to attend EBI and earn what I was told was an associates degree in medical assisting. I was making 40K as a manager and was informed by the admissions office that I could increase my pay if I had a associates degree on top of my experience. Upon graduation 2011, I attempted to find employment I was offered jobs at 8$ hour when I asked about the life long job placement she submitted my resume to fast food restaurants or to jobs outside of what I went to school for. I owe 43k in student loans. I attempted to transfer my credits so I could obtain a bachelors degree and was informed I wouldnt be able to do so, This "school" is not what it seems.
Posted by
Shantavia James
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Shantavia James
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I started Elmira Business Institute on June 4th of this year . I only went because I have a friend that goes there which was a bad idea . The first day I went there to think about signing up or to check the place out i was already enrolled and taking my picture for my ID. I didn’t think anything of it just happy that i was going back to school. Now after just 1 month I’m am totally thinking about transferring . The way they run the school is scandalous . The head lady there is very rude and bias. Even a few of there staff members have just up & quit . I also feel that they are embezzling money from us . Every time I go to the finial aid office i get told something different . Or they are in a meeting and can’t talk . I refuned back books I didn’t need and was I told i wasn’t getting that money back because I went over $1000. So they would keep that money . Wait what !?!? I’m so confused.
Posted by
Diana Keefe
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Diana Keefe
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I attended Elmira Business institute from 2012-2014. I signed up with them because their commercials all said guarantied job placement after completing all courses. I have been out of the school with a degree I cant use and no job. I did the externship program and was stuck in a file room for most of the time. Every time I asked when I was going to actually do medical assisting things they never answered. I finally did Medical Assisting the Last 6 days I was there. Now I have all these student loans I cant pay back because of lack of employment. I figured it was a good college because a lot of my friends were going and were loving it. But After completing the schooling and not being able to get a job with all the so called training, I am not happy at all.
Posted by
Darcie Creech
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Darcie Creech
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I attended the Elmira branch and took off from school right before graduating needing only one semester to do so with an accounting degree due to medical issues. I recently wanted to finish my degree and was told that the two years I spent working on my associates was not transferable at all. Anyone know what can be done about this.
Posted by
Miss C
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Miss C
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I was over charged at the time I was a single mom going to school they told me the same thing on being accredited school (lies) they told me being a single mother with my income I would not have much to pay back. I graduated in 2002 and still can not been able to obtain a job in the field I went for medical office went threw hell and back and paying loans for schooling that was a total waste.
Posted by
Jennifer Mackey Luedecke
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Jennifer Mackey Luedecke
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I am looking for help with EBI in Vestal NY, they are telling me even though I have not started I owe all this money, I need to pay the loans I took out for the school courses, and books, I just signed up last week! I am so Confused because I don't even have my GED copy, shot record etc handed in. They rrally take advantage of you, I am handicap and need a desk job and have been robbed.
Posted by
Denise Alston
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Denise Alston
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Elmira Business Institute is not the Accredited school they told me they were. I have so many complaints, but my biggest complaint is about the "EXTERNSHIP" class I took. I was told that the EXTERNSHIP class was designed for their students to acquire " Hands On " experience in their chosen field of study. I was placed at a site in which I had absolutely NO experience at all in my chosen field which is Medical Coding & Billing Reimbursement. I was required to put in 187.50 of unpaid hours in order to aquire the needed requirements for the class. I spent 187.50 of unpaid hours at a site where I basically cooked, cleaned and served food !! I complained repeatedly the entire semester about how I was not getting any experience in Medical Coding and/or Billing, which was what the EXTERNSHIP class was suppose to be all about. To make matters worse, I was told that my CPC exam was included in my tuition to only find out in the end that it is not. I refuse to spend the next several years paying off student loans, when I did not get the education I was promised. I will pursue this complaint and exhaust all my avenues before I give up on exposing Elmira Business Institute for what they really are, they are in it for the money and not to educate students like they portray.
Posted by
ann cowan
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ann cowan
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I attended from August 2012- October 2014. I am making minimum wage right now. All I am getting g is I am not qualified for any job I apply for. I was even told I wasn't qualified to work in the cafeteria in the hospital. My resume was supposed to sent out before I left it wasn't. I am not happy. I have no idea what to do. Anyone who has had a problem please look me up
Posted by
john santiago
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john santiago
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So my credit score went down the drain after ebi decided to say that I owe pretty much the tuition even though it was all through grants pal and tap. I'm upset that I can't even ask for a loan or anything because of this I'm not happy and will not be paying that so something needs to happen ASAP.
Posted by
Alisa Parzych
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Alisa Parzych
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Elmira Business Institute promised that the credits I earned there would transfer to another school which was always my intention. None of the credits will transfer because they are not an accredited school. They did not tell me how I was charged per semester. They only met with me upon enrollment and told me the lump sum the program would cost. They never met with me after to discuss finances and it looks like they've taken out loans on my behalf without my knowledge. They are also trying to charge me for a full semester when I only sat in on one 3 hr class only for an hour of that one class.
