Heald students can get help in Salida, Stockton

Students displaced by the closure of Heald College can get help Thursday with transferring to other schools.

They also could benefit down the line from state legislation inspired by last week’s closure of Corinthian Colleges, the for-profit parent company of Heald, amid questions about its job-placement claims and other issues.

The transfer workshops will be held in Salida and Stockton, which were among the 10 Heald locations in California that closed. They will be hosted by the office of state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton.

Information will be provided on transferring Heald credits, financial aid and other topics. Representatives will be on hand from Modesto Junior College and San Joaquin Delta College, as well as the private Humphreys College and the California Student Aid Commission. Former employees of Heald can get information on state unemployment services.

“I want these stranded students and staff to know that we are going to pull together a coordinated effort of public agencies to promptly assist them with options and advice,” Galgiani said in a news release. “This problem is not their fault, but they are the immediate victims of the closure whose lives and plans have been disrupted.”

State Assembly leaders last week announced bipartisan legislation on behalf of former Corinthian students. It would waive community college fees for California students harmed by the closure, expand counseling at these campuses, restore Cal Grant eligibility and provide help with student loan forgiveness and recovery of tuition.

Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen, R-Riverbank, is a co-author, along with Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and other lawmakers.

“Assembly Republicans stand with California’s hardworking students who are striving to pursue their education dreams,” Olsen said in a news release.

Several state and federal agencies are investigating Corinthian, whose 28-campus operation included Everest and WyoTech sites. The accusations include securities fraud, false advertising and unlawful use of military seals in ads.

The Assembly bill directs that student-relief efforts be funded by money the state might collect from the company.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Heald students can get help in Salida, Stockton."