I started attending ITT Technical Institute in June. I qualified for full Federal Financial Aid and I qualified for the SOLP (Second Opportunity Loan Program), which is a signature loan from ITT itself.
In November of I was told that I was losing my SOLP loan and that I had to pay over 800.00 out of my pocket to continue on with the current quarter. I told them they were crazy, and I demanded to know why I lost the loan. A new Financial Aid lady told me it was because I am a Veteran and that the school does not give the SOLP loan do Veterans because they have the GI Bill available to them.
I demanded I get to keep the loan, so an email was sent to HQ's in Indiana, and because I was already using the funds, they let me keep the loan. The email said that for future reference, VA students are not to be offered the SOLP loan and cannot apply for it. I spoke with the school director in San Bernardino, CA. He told me that ITT Tech can deny anyone they want to. He told me that denying me a loan because I am a Veteran is not discrimination, it is just their right to deny the loan to whomever. He told me that VA students get the GI BIll so they should have to pay for their education costs with the GI Bill, not a signature loan from the school.
The average Joe and go to ITT, and apply for the loan and get it if he is not a Veteran. But any Veteran student can go to ITT and apply for all financial aid, and is never told about the SOLP because it it ITT's internal policy to not allow VA students to even know about it or apply for it.
I feel this is blatant discrimination based on a class of citizens. The VA students think that they just did not qualify for enough federal aid and that is why they have to pay out of pocket. The truth is, they were not even told about the SOLP because they are a Veteran, and the school refuses to allow Veterans to apply for it.
Therefore, the VA students end up paying out of pocket. It looks like simple Federal Financial Aid math, so they pay it. They dont even know they are being denied additional funds provided by the school, just because of their Veteran status. I was not supposed to know about this internal policy, which is written and put into the instruction manuals of all the financial aid personnel with explicit instructions to not tell the VA students about the SOLP.
I was lucky and found out about his discriminatory policy because I had a brand new financial aid person. Otherwise, I would be paying out of my pocket thinking I did not get enough Federal funds. I encourage all VA students attending any ITT Tech school to inquire with financial aid about the SOLP loan. You will see how discriminating the internal policy is. I encourage you to notify your local VA office about the policy. I am currently seeking legal aid to find out what laws are out there about this type of discrimination.
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