stone academy

Career Fair Being Held in Hartford for Stone Academy Students

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A career fair is being held this week for students of Stone Academy after the school's sudden closure earlier this month.

The Office of Higher Education is holding a career fair from February 27 through March 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 450 Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.

The career fair will have a delayed opening Tuesday due to the incoming winter weather. Students registered to attend the fair in the morning should instead visit in the afternoon between 12 and 4 p.m.

As of Monday morning, the school was no longer accepting sign ups to attend the event.

At the career fair, students are able to explore other educational options that are available.

Representatives from Lincoln Technical Institute, Griffin Hospital School of Allied Health Careers, Porter and Chester Institute and the National Guard will be at the career fair. Admissions staff from the state's community college system will also be there.

Event organizers said the United States Department of Education will be at the career fair to help students with information about how to apply for loan discharges. The Office of Higher Education will help students who paid out of pocket apply for tuition refunds.

There is growing outrage after the sudden shutdown of Stone Academy.

All active Stone Academy student files, which includes transcripts, academic and clinical progress and financial status will be transferred to the Office of Higher Education. The files will be reviewed by an independent auditor to determine accurate academic and clinical status.

According to officials, the academic and clinical status of each student is vital information when transferring to another program. It also helps each student receive a tuition refund or federal loan discharge, if applicable.

Transcripts will not be released until the audit is completed.

Earlier this month, Stone Academy announced it was closing all three of their campuses in Connecticut after more than 150 years of operation. The next day, the school halted all classes immediately.

Since then, Attorney General William Tong has launched a formal investigation into the school's sudden closure under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The attorney general said he sent a civil investigative demand to Stone Academy demanding information and records about the education provided to and tuition collected from each student, the schools’ marketing practices, faculty qualifications, revenues and accreditation materials, as well as all complaints received by the school.

He is also asking for information on how and when the school decided to close and how that decision was communicated to students.

Tong has requested information on how the school intends to reimburse students for tuition and costs, assist students in continuing their education and how it intends to inform students of their rights and options.

Stone Academy has been given until March 10 to respond.

Stone Academy students gathered at the East Hartford campus on Monday following last week's announcement that all three campuses would be closing.

Office of Higher Education officials said there were various concerns and challenges facing the academy, which resulted in the closures.

Stone Academy students in need of assistance or Stone Academy employees with information relevant to this investigation are asked to file a complaint through the Office of the Attorney General’s online portal.

Stone Academy had locations in East Hartford, Waterbury and West Haven.

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