Murphy Vows to Help Closed Beauty School Students

United States Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is promising to help the more than 400 students in the state who were enrolled in the soon-to-close Marinello School of Beauty.

School officials announced that it was closing all of its schools this week following a federal investigation into alleged financial improprieties. The national chain of cosmetology schools has Connecticut locations in East Hartford, Fairfield, Hamden, Meriden, Niantic and Willimantic.

The U.S. Department of Education pulled all of its financial aid from the for-profit schools, which represented about 80 percent of the company’s funding.

“Unfortunately, Marinello Schools is just the latest case of fraudulent, for-profit school systems lying to their students and hanging them out dry,” said Murphy in a statement. The Connecticut Office of Higher Education also has vowed to help the students. “While I applaud the Department of Education for suspending Marinello’s access to federal dollars in light of deceptive enrollment and financial aid disbursement practices, the school’s abrupt decision to close means that nearly 500 students enrolled at 6 campuses across Connecticut today are left holding the bag with thousands of dollars in student debt and incomplete credentials.”

Murphy added, “The Department of Education has the ability to discharge all federal student loan debt for these students, and I will do everything I can to encourage them to expedite the process so that these borrowers can get their money – and their right to a real education – back in their own hands. I’ve been battling for-profit schools ever since I was elected to the Senate, and Congress has not yet done its part to take them on. It’s time for Congress to pass my Students Before Profits Act and crack down on these fraudulent executives.”

According to Murphy, the federal investigation into Marinello turned up a host of alleged problems, including “enrolling students with invalid high school diplomas, underawarding federal student aid refunds to students, and charging students for excessive overtime.”

Marinello students who need assistance with their student loan debt are encouraged to call Murphy’s office at 860-549-8463.