The Pittsburgh Career Institute will close its doors before Thanksgiving because the healthcare training school lost its academic accreditation this summer, the Downtown Pittsburgh school said Thursday.
The private, for-profit school with six degree programs said it will shutdown its classes on Nov. 23.
It said it will continue to have representatives helping students complete externships, clinical programs and assist those with requests to transfer to another school and obtain transcripts of their grades until Dec. 31.
PCI will begin shutting down and operating in what it termed is a “teach-out” mode that gives students “a reasonable opportunity” to complete their program of study.
The U.S. Department of Education’s decision to revoke PCI’s accreditation was the primary reason for its closing, said Patti Yakshe, the school president. The school was prohibited from accepting new students into its degree programs, Yakshe said in her statement.
PCI, which has been owned by New Opportunity Calling LLC since 2014, is accredited with the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. That organization is accredited by the U.S. Education Department, according to the school’s website.
Yakshe gave no reason for PCI’s loss of accreditation.
Since the Education Department’s decision on Aug. 19, Yakshe stated that PCI worked to secure new opportunities, which it did not name, that would have allowed the school to continue operating until the Education Department’s restrictions were lifted.
“Unfortunately, PCl’s efforts have been unsuccessful,” Yakshe said in a written statement.
PCI had 136 students enrolled in its six programs in 2018, with a 9-to-1 faculty ratio, meaning it had about 15 instructors, according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s tuition for the 2018-2019 school year was close to $26,000.
PCI did not reveal how many employees will lose their jobs.
The school said it will provide more information and updates regarding its closing.
