Brightwood College closes operations, surprising students

Students and staff at Brightwood College campuses across the country are left unsure about their future after the college announced on Wednesday that it would be closing in the coming days.

The college with more than 30 campuses across the country notified them by email. That includes three schools in the metroplex.

Students and employees say they have more questions than answers right now after getting an email during finals week telling them their campus would close in just two days. The school told them in an email they are losing their accreditation and cited financial issues as reasons for the closure.

Christina Campos enrolled at Brightwood College in August to study to become a medical assistant.

“The beginning of this year after I had my daughter, I decided to go back to school to better my future,” she recalled.

Campos was almost halfway to graduating when she got the email notice that the school would be closing for good on Friday.

“I was in shock. I started feeling a lot of anxiety,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Just a day before they’re supposed to take their final exam, Campos and her classmates are now scrambling to figure out what the next steps are.

“Just keep looking for another school that might accept all of us because it’s not just us three,” said student Kimberly Cano. “It’s a lot of people that don’t have a school to go to anymore.”

In an email to students, the school cited financial issues, a loss in accreditation and new requirements from the Department of Education as reasons for the closure.

In a statement to FOX 4, the school says “we will work with students to ensure access to transcripts so they can complete their studies at another school. This is not the outcome that we envisioned and is one that we recognize will have a dramatic effect on our students, employees and many partners.”

Employees got a similar email informing most of them they no longer have a job. School officials would not say how many students and employees are affected.

Students say they still plan to take their final on Thursday and hope to get some answers from staff on campus.