ASA College was a private, for-profit institution that permanently closed on February 24, 2023. i was reading this It operated campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, as well as Hialeah, Florida, and offered associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and professional certificates in fields like business administration, health disciplines, legal studies, and computer technology.

Institutional Identity and History

ASA College was founded in 1985 as Advanced Software Analysis, initially focusing on computer programming to address a shortage of qualified mainframe programmers in New York. The college received authorization from the New York State Board of Regents in 1999 to confer degrees in accounting, computer programming, information technology, and medical assisting. By 2021, it enrolled approximately 2,745 students, with a predominantly Hispanic/Latino (34.5%) and Black/African American (29.8%) student body. The student population was 67% female, and 63% of students were aged 25-64, indicating a significant non-traditional student demographic.

Accreditation and Regulatory Status

ASA College was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. However, this accreditation was removed in 2023 as the college failed to meet several of the commission’s standards. The institution’s accreditation ceased effective March 1, 2023, shortly after it closed. The college’s associate degree program in Medical Assisting held specialized accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Closure and Financial Collapse

The closure of ASA College followed a period of severe financial and administrative turmoil. In December 2022, the New York State Education Department removed the college from the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) due to its failing Financial Responsibility Composite Score. The institution’s president notified NYSED that it had no funds available to continue the fall academic term. By early 2023, NYSED conducted a site visit and found that the college lacked sufficient resources to operate, had inadequate faculty (some teaching twenty-five or more credits), and suffered from disruptive leadership changes, a dissolved Board of Trustees, and inability to provide ongoing access to academic records.

In February 2023, MSCHE acted to note that ASA College “closed without prior approval while on adverse action status”. The college ceased instruction on February 24, 2023. The New York State Board of Regents subsequently revoked the college’s degree-conferring authority in July 2024.

Leadership Controversies

ASA College’s founder and long-time president, Alex Shchegol, faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He was first removed by the board of trustees in 2018 following a lawsuit alleging he used an employee to help him find women to abuse, which was later settled out of court for $500,000. After the board denied his request for reinstatement in late 2021, Shchegol used his power as owner of the college to replace five of the seven board members, who then reinstated him. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Education began restricting the college’s access to federal financial aid, and ASA agreed to pay over $100,000 to New York City’s consumer protection division after being accused of “running misleading ads targeting low-income people and immigrants”.

Student Outcomes and Predatory Practices

ASA College’s graduation rate was approximately 24%, significantly below the national average for associate-degree-granting institutions. The college’s average net price after financial aid was $28,764, which was considerably higher than the national average for similar institutions.

A particularly troubling pattern emerged among nursing students. More Help The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) documented that many former students “enrolled in ASA’s Nursing Program on the basis of false representations made by administrative staff”. Although these students intended to study nursing, they were enrolled in different programs they did not choose and steered into accumulating thousands of dollars in federal student loan debt. Many were never allowed to take nursing classes and left ASA without completing their nursing degrees, with no better job prospects than before.

Resources for Former Students

Former students have several avenues for recourse. The U.S. Department of Education offers a closed school loan discharge for federal student loans. Students who were enrolled at the time of closure or who withdrew within 180 days before the closure (on or after August 28, 2022) may be eligible for a 100% discharge of their federal loans if they did not complete their program. However, students who transfer credits to another school and complete a comparable program may lose eligibility for this discharge.

Former students may also pursue a Borrower Defense to Repayment discharge if they can demonstrate they enrolled or continued attending because of misleading or false statements made by the school. NYLAG has assisted former nursing students in submitting these applications, citing ASA’s documented history of deceptive advertising.

For transcripts, former students who attended New York campuses should visit the NYSED transcript portal at transcripts.verif-y.com. Those who attended Florida locations should contact the Florida Commission for Independent Education. NYSED does not have access to diplomas or certificates and cannot assist with diploma-related requests, though official transcripts should identify any degrees or certificates awarded.

Conclusion

ASA College represents a cautionary example of the risks associated with for-profit higher education institutions that prioritize enrollment and revenue over student outcomes. Its rapid collapse in early 2023 left thousands of students scrambling to transfer credits, obtain transcripts, and seek loan relief. The institution’s history of leadership misconduct, misleading advertising, and financial mismanagement ultimately resulted in the loss of accreditation and complete closure. For prospective students evaluating similar institutions, ASA College’s trajectory underscores the importance of researching graduation rates, accreditation stability, check my source and regulatory actions before enrolling.