The Florida Coastal School of Law (FCSL) this week said it would appeal a recent U.S. Department of Education decision blocking the Jacksonville campus from participating in the federal student aid program.
The law school is also revising what is called a teach-out plan, which provides a road map allowing current students to complete their law degrees prior to the possible closure of the campus. A revised teach-out plan will be submitted by May 28 to the American Bar Association, which accredited the school, according to the law school.
“We continue to focus on our students,” Peter Goplerud, FCSL’s dean and president, said in a statement emailed to the Florida Record, “and I, along with senior members of the administrative team, am meeting throughout the next several days with each student individually to discuss their future.”
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is taking a closer look at for-profit schools.
The office of Federal Student AID (FSA), a unit of the Department of Education, turned down the law school’s application for reinstatement in the Title IV student aid program, according to a May 13 press release. The department found that FCSL failed to meet the required standards for financial responsibility, as well as fiduciary standards of conduct.
“Florida Coastal School of Law operated recklessly and irresponsibly, putting its students at financial risk rather than providing the opportunities they were seeking,” Richard Cordray, the FSA’s new chief operating officer, said in a statement. “Our commitment is to stand up for all students and ensure their institutions are held to the standards our students and communities expect and deserve.”
The school has suffered from a declining student population and from significant debt, the FSA reported, and a private equity firm that owned nearly 99 percent of the school relinquished its ownership in the school in April, creating further financial liability concerns.
FCSL, however, stands by its commitment to its students, pointing out that the law school’s graduates have outperformed graduates from other law schools in Florida on the state bar exam. In addition, 93 percent of 2020 graduates are currently employed, and some of the school’s alumni serve in the Florida House of Representatives, according to FCSL.
The Department of Education’s action reflects the federal government’s efforts to assure that for-profit educational institutions do not profitteer from students and are held fully accountable to Title IV participation standards, the agency said.