Closed School Discharge and/or Student Tuition Fund Reimbursement (STRF) Application Instructions

YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID ORGANIZATION MAY BE ABLE TO HELP IDENTIFY WHICH FORMS OF RELIEF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AND CAN GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO SUCCESSFULLY APPLY FOR RELIEF:

Step 1: Document Collection. Find documents to prove that you were enrolled in and paid tuition for a Corinthian College. You do not need documents from class, like your assignments or tests. You only need documents related to your enrollment and any payments you have made, such as:

  • Your school enrollment agreement (what you signed when you first decided to go to the school);
  • Any loan documents (what you signed when you applied for your student loans);
  • Any receipts for tuition payments or student loan payments; and
  • Any other documents that look official, including ones you signed if you took a leave of absence.
TIP! Make copies of all of your documents for your records. You will also need to include a copy of your entire closed school discharge packet if you will be submitting an application for STRF reimbursement (see Step 6).

Step 2: Closed School Discharge Application. The application for a closed school discharge can be found here: Loan Discharge Application.

Make sure you answer all of the questions and sign the application. Your local legal aid may be able to review the application and ensure that it is correctly completed.

Step 3: Cover Letter to Servicer. Once your school closes, you are generally given a six month grace period before repayment of student loans begins. However, all students may benefit by including a cover letter with the application packet. This cover letter will notify your loan servicer that you are applying for a closed school discharge and will ask for a forbearance on your loan repayment until a decision has been reached on your application.

Higher Ed, Not Debt has created a sample cover letter that can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/m28zfnm, or your local legal aid organization can help you draft a new cover letter.

Step 4: Application Submission. Once your application is complete, send your completed application, along with a cover letter, copy of your enrollment agreement, and a document showing you were on an approved leave of absence (if applicable), to your loan servicer.

TIP! If you are not sure who your loan servicer is, you can call 1-800-4-FINAID to find out. Or, you can use your FAFSA PIN number to log-on to the National Student Loan Data System here: https://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/secure/SaFinLogin.do.

Step 5: Servicer Response. Your loan servicer will contact you with a decision. Make sure you open letters and answer calls from your servicer. If you have not heard from your servicer within 30 days, you should call them and ask about the status of your application.

Step 6: Student Tuition Recovery Fund. Any student loans that are not covered by the closed school discharge may be eligible for reimbursement from the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF), including private loans used to cover tuition costs. The STRF may also reimburse you for the cost of equipment and materials that were required for your educational program. You should apply at the same time you apply for a closed school discharge. You will not receive a decision on your application until after you have a decision on your closed school discharge application.

The STRF application and instructions on where to submit it can be found here: STRF Application. When you submit this application, you should include a copy of your closed school discharge application, your enrollment agreement, your private student loan documents, proof of any payments made on your loans, and receipts or other proof of purchase for any equipment and materials that were required for your program. Your local legal aid organization may be able to help you.

TIP! Unfortunately, Heald College students are not be eligible for STRF reimbursement.