On Wednesday Brightwood’s parent company–Education Corporation of America–abruptly notified students and faculty that it had lost its accreditation and was closing its campuses nationwide. Ash-har Quraishi reports.
Corina Demkowicz had already completed seven months in the dental assistant program at Brightwood College in Hammond.
"Our teacher and students were crying," she said. "It was sad."
She was just two months away from graduation.
"My daughter was so happy I was going to finish and she was like ‘oh, mommy's gonna be a dentist and now,'" she said. "(Now I) can’t finish."
On Wednesday Brightwood’s parent company--Education Corporation of America--abruptly notified students and faculty that it had lost its accreditation and was closing its campuses nationwide.
Only students who completed their classes by Friday would be getting course credit.
In an email to students ECA's CEO wrote “if you do not graduate by 12/7, we encourage you to continue your career training by requesting your transcript and contacting schools to determine transferability.”
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Demkowicz wishes she would have known ahead of time.
"If they knew this was happening that way we could look elsewhere and get enrolled into another program and have been more prepared," she said.
Demkowicz's mother, Debra, said it's the whole family was looking forward to Corina's graduation.
"My granddaughter ... she was going to be happy to see her mom in a cap and gown, you know, we’re crushed a little bit," she said.
Administrators say they will be available to students through late next week to answer questions and help with transcripts.
ECA did not respond to NBC 5's further requests for comment.
