Kaplan College has surrendered its license to operate a dental assistant program at its Charlotte, NC, campus after students accused officials of misleading them about the credentials they would receive after graduation, according to a news story in the Charlotte Observer.
The tuition and fees for the 12-month program were more than $18,000. Many students complained that they thought they would graduate with a Dental Assistant II certification when the program was offering only a Dental Assistant I certification.
"I could have spent my hard-earned money on [an] education from a reputable college," one student wrote last year in complaints to state agencies, the Observer reported. "Now I'm stuck with loans I can't possibly pay back."
Kaplan has refunded 200 students for tuition, books, and fees and will also pay each of the program's graduates $9,000 stipends while they work to get their certifications, according to the story.
The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges began investigating the program last year, but ended that probe after Kaplan surrendered its license to operate the dental assistant program.
A second investigation, by the North Carolina Attorney General's Office, is continuing.
