State regulators shut down Silicon Valley University in San Jose, California after nearly 20 years in business. A state agency cited the school for violations ranging from faulty record-keeping to illegal recruiting and one of the founders was ousted for misappropriating nearly $35 million. One official asked whether the school might be a "visa mill," where students are allowed into the U.S. but receive a poor education.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
The school collected tens of millions of dollars in tuition, some of which it has said in court filings it can’t account for. Students have raised concerns about the quality of education: One said he didn’t get the well-paying tech job he expected, while another complained that instruction was haphazard.
Silicon Valley University lost its accreditation Dec. 7 for failing to provide audited financial statements. The body that pulled its approval, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, is itself under federal scrutiny for its oversight of similar private colleges. Without accreditation, a school cannot offer degrees in California.
