McCann School of Business & Technology Borrower Defense: Were You Misled About Your Career?

Did you enroll at McCann School of Business & Technology believing your training would lead to certification, better employment, higher earnings, or a meaningful new career and take out substantial federal student loans based on those expectations?

If the reality was very different, your experience deserves a closer look.

Public court records, federal accountability data, state disciplinary records, accreditor documents, and the Sweet v. Cardona settlement all provide important historical context that former McCann students may want to examine when considering a federal Borrower Defense to Repayment application.

A McCann Student Alleged She Was Misled About Certification Eligibility

One of the most significant McCann-specific cases is Weidner v. McCann Education Centers, Inc. and Delta Career Education Corporation.

According to the Pennsylvania Superior Court's 2015 opinion, a student training to become a laboratory technician at McCann's Carlisle campus alleged that McCann representatives told her that completing the program would make her eligible to sit for a certification examination. She alleged that she later discovered that the program was not nationally accredited and that she would therefore be ineligible for the examination. Her class-action complaint asserted breach of contract, Pennsylvania consumer-protection claims, and federal RICO claims.

Importantly, the appellate court did not decide whether McCann actually made the alleged misrepresentations. The decision concerned whether the student's dispute had to proceed through arbitration. Nevertheless, the case is significant because it documents allegations involving the exact kinds of accreditation, certification, and career qualification representations that may matter in an individual Borrower Defense claim.

Federal Data Flagged McCann Career Programs

McCann also appeared prominently in the federal government's former Gainful Employment accountability system.

Published federal results identified multiple McCann programs among programs that failed the gainful-employment test, including programs involving medical assisting, dental assisting, automotive technology, paralegal studies, security and cosmetology.

The Washington Post reported an especially troubling example involving McCann's medical assisting associate program in Pennsylvania. The program reportedly cost about 30,860 dollars, graduates typically carried more than 26,000 dollars in debt, only 7 percent completed on time, and graduates typically earned approximately 20,300 dollars. The Department of Education determined that the program failed the applicable gainful-employment accountability standard.

For a former student who recalls being promised strong employment prospects, competitive earnings, or an affordable path to a new career, those historical outcomes may be highly relevant corroborating evidence.

McCann Was Also Subject to State Discipline

McCann's Lewisburg, Pennsylvania location also appears in an official Pennsylvania disciplinary record.

In 2017, the Pennsylvania Board of Massage Therapy publicly reprimanded McCann School of Business & Technology, imposed a 500 dollar civil penalty, and assessed 1,572.55 dollars in investigation costs after finding that the school employed an individual in the practice of massage therapy who was not licensed by the Board.

This action does not establish that every McCann student was harmed, but it is another official regulatory record former students may want to compare against representations they personally received about instructors, licensing preparation, or program quality.

Accreditor Records Show Financial Scrutiny

Federal records concerning McCann's former accreditor, ACICS, also show that McCann School of Business and Technology in Pottsville was included in financial monitoring proceedings involving its then-owner, Delta Career Education Corporation.

An ACICS hearing panel recommended moving the institution from a financial show-cause directive to reporting at the Financial Improvement Plan level, and later records show Delta institutions including McCann continuing under that monitoring framework.

Separately, Pennsylvania records document the closure of numerous McCann locations, including Dickson City, Wilkes-Barre, Pottsville, Carlisle and Hazle Township. Closures alone do not establish misconduct, but they can help establish the history and timeline of a borrower's school and program.

McCann Is Listed in Sweet v. Cardona Exhibit C

There is another major fact former McCann borrowers should know:

McCann School of Business & Technology is expressly named in Exhibit C of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement under Delta Career Education Corporation.

That is significant historical context. However, it is important not to overstate what the settlement means. Exhibit C status does not automatically prove that McCann misled a particular borrower, and someone submitting a new Borrower Defense application today should not assume that simply attending an Exhibit C school guarantees discharge. Sweet settlement eligibility depends heavily on when a Borrower Defense application was filed and other settlement requirements.

Does Your McCann Experience Sound Familiar?

A Borrower Defense claim is strongest when public evidence connects with what actually happened to you. Consider whether McCann told you something materially different from reality about:

• Accreditation or eligibility for professional certification
• Job placement rates or career opportunities
• Expected salaries or employment outcomes
• Whether employers would recognize your credential
• Program quality, instructors, externships or career services
• Total program cost or student loan debt
• Licensing requirements or your ability to work in your chosen field

The Department of Education's Borrower Defense application specifically addresses misconduct by a school that may make federal student loans eligible for discharge.

Ready to Investigate Your McCann Borrower Defense Claim?

If you attended McCann and recognize your own experience in these issues, do not rely on the school's history alone. Your application should connect the evidence to the representations made to you, when they were made, why you relied on them, the loans you took out, and the financial harm that followed.

Want to prepare the application yourself?

Use our step-by-step Borrower Defense DIY Guide.

Want to see evidence involving other schools?

Explore our usable school misconduct research.

You can also search our complete list of colleges and universities to see whether another school you attended has documented Borrower Defense evidence.

Your federal student loan balance may represent more than debt. If you borrowed because of misleading information from McCann School of Business & Technology, now may be the time to investigate whether Borrower Defense applies to you.

Ready to take the next step?

Check your eligibility now and start your Borrower Defense review today.

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