Harris School of Business Borrower Defense: Legal Red Flags Former Students Should Know

Did Harris School of Business promise career preparation, professional certification or employment opportunities that never materialized? Public records reveal a troubling history involving federal compliance findings, student and employee lawsuits, state enforcement action, unusually high student loan default rates and the school’s eventual closure.

If those issues resemble what happened to you, they may help provide context for a Borrower Defense to Repayment application.

Federal Review Identified Serious Concerns

A U.S. Department of Education program review identified 9 areas of alleged noncompliance at Harris School of Business. These included conflicting financial aid information, incomplete verification, program hours that were reportedly not offered, inadequate attendance monitoring, inaccurate loan certification and misrepresentation to students.

One finding addressed allegations that students were told Harris School of Business had accreditation connected to the Certified Medical Assistant examination and that graduates would be eligible to take the exam. According to the report, affected students later learned that they were not eligible.

The Department’s Final Program Review Determination described the findings as raising serious concerns. The review was ultimately closed without further action because of the time that had passed and the school’s assertions that corrective measures had been taken.

Lawsuits Alleged Misleading Career and Certification Claims

In a federal False Claims Act case, former employees accused Premier Education Group and its affiliated schools, including Harris School of Business, of conduct involving allegedly misleading placement figures, enrollment-based compensation and altered grades or attendance records. A federal court allowed portions of those claims to proceed past the dismissal stage. The litigation later ended through a stipulated dismissal, without a final finding of liability. Read the federal court’s opinion.

Separately, 37 former students reportedly sued Premier Education Group and Harris School of Business. Their complaint alleged misrepresentations concerning accreditation and eligibility to take the Certified Medical Assistant examination, along with claims involving instruction, grades and attendance. These were allegations rather than proven findings, but they may be relevant to borrowers who personally received similar representations. Review the reported student allegations.

New Jersey Ordered the School to Stop Certain Loan Advertising

In 2019, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs directed Harris School of Business to stop advertising that students were eligible for NJCLASS supplemental loans. State officials reported 2015 federal-loan default rates of 35 percent at the Cherry Hill and Linwood campuses and 28.1 percent at Voorhees, compared with a statewide school average of 9.7 percent. Read the New Jersey Attorney General’s announcement.

Loss of Federal-Aid Eligibility and Closure

Harris School of Business lost eligibility to participate in federal student-aid programs on June 26, 2020, after failing to provide required documentation following a change in ownership. Federal Student Aid later recognized October 9, 2020, as the Voorhees campus’s official closure date. See the federal closure fact sheet.

Some students affected by the closure may have a separate closed-school discharge option. Others may need to examine borrower defense based on what the school represented before or during enrollment.

Harris School of Business Appears in Sweet v. Cardona Exhibit C

Harris School of Business, under Premier Education Group, is expressly listed in Exhibit C of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement.

Could These Records Support Your Claim?

Your experience matters. A borrower defense application may be worth examining if Harris School of Business misled you about:

• Professional certification or licensing eligibility
• Accreditation or program quality
• Job placement rates or employer relationships
• Career services or expected earnings
• Program length, instructional hours or externships
• Tuition, financial aid or the amount you would borrow

Save advertisements, enrollment documents, emails, catalogs, transcripts, loan records and notes identifying the representatives who spoke with you.

Do these allegations sound familiar?

Check your potential eligibility and learn whether your Harris School of Business experience may support a borrower defense claim.

Prefer to prepare the application yourself?

Use the Borrower Defense Do It Yourself Guide. You can also review misconduct information already published for other schools or search the complete list of schools and universities.

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