September 28, 2023
Art Institute of Atlanta and Miami International University of Art and Design Closure
**UPDATE**
To Former Art Institute of Atlanta/Miami International University of Art and Design Students of Georgia:
If you responded to our recent survey indicating that you had specific losses relating to the Art Institute of Atlanta/Miami International University of Art and Design closures, we need additional documentation so that we can move forward with processing claims of loss. The Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, with the assistance of the Georgia Attorney General, is taking action to receive funds to make some refunds to students who experienced qualified losses that are documented by receipts or similar written evidence. We are opening a claim period for you to provide specific loss information along with supporting documentation.
Qualified losses include application fees to transfer to another institution, examination fees required to apply to another institution, transcript fees, and transfer credits lost.
To have your claim be considered complete, you MUST complete and email the attached TGTF Claim Application with supporting documentation of any claimed losses identified above to Pat Neri at [email protected] by June 15, 2024.
The claims and documentation will be reviewed, and the agency, in its sole discretion, will approve or reject claims and make a determination regarding any payment of claims. The agency reserves the right to issue pro rata payments of claims to all or some of the affected students as it deems equitable and appropriate in its sole discretion. Again, it is possible that you will not receive any payment even if you have submitted a completed Claim Form with documentation. Incomplete claims will not be considered by the agency.
By submitting the
TGTF Claim Application
, you declare that the information provided with the accompanying documentation is true and correct to the best of your knowledge, information, and reasonable belief. You also acknowledge and agree that your submission of a Claim Application and documentation does not guarantee that you will receive any funds from the agency.
If you have any specific questions, please email [email protected].
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The Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (NPEC) has opened a claim period for qualified losses. Please complete the following form to initiate a claim for qualified losses: https://forms.gle/KpUuoLUzYurZk7aZ7.
RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 1, 2024.
The Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) has been notified of the closure of Art Institute of Atlanta and Miami International University of Art and Design. The following information is provided for the students attending the Art Institute of Atlanta campus and Georgia students attending Miami International University of Art and Design online who have been affected by this closure.
A questionnaire was sent to currently enrolled students to help us determine if additional assistance may be possible. This is not a guarantee of reimbursement; at this point, these questions are for information-gathering purposes to determine if financial support may be available. The information provided through this survey will not be shared or sold to third-party marketers.
More communication with those who were currently enrolled at the time of the closure will be coming in early January.
Transcripts (Current and Former Students at Georgia Campuses)
It is our understanding that Art Institute of Atlanta and Miami International University of Art and Design will automatically send five (5) transcripts to all current students. Upon finalization of transcripts for all current students, all Art Institute and Miami International University of Art and Design transcripts will be stored with Parchment, and future requests for transcripts must be made through Parchment.
FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS AND PELL GRANTS:
Please review YOUR OPTIONS regarding transfer, loan forgiveness, and loan discharge for students affected by the closure of the Art Institutes or Miami International University of Art & Design: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/ai.pdf
If you have general questions about federal loans, you should first try to contact your loan servicer. Additional information on loan forgiveness and refund discharge is available at: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/closed-school.
Student inquiries: studentaid.gov or call 1-800-433-3243.
Please be advised that if you completed or are in the process of completing a comparable program of study at another school by transferring academic credits or hours earned from Art Institute of Atlanta or Miami International University of Art and Design, or by any other comparable means, you are NOT eligible for a closed school discharge.
Federal Student Aid Webinar Regarding AI Closure Links: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/ai-webinar.pdf
Program Completion
The following institutions, which may have similar offerings, have been listed on the AIA website or provided to GNPEC as possible institutions that could assist Art Institute of Atlanta and Miami International University of Art and Design students in completing their programs. Please contact the institution directly.
Academy of Art University
- Website: https://www.academyart.edu/
- Information Sessions:
- Monday, October 2, 6 p.m. Eastern. Please register here.
- Tuesday, October 3, 6 p.m. Eastern. Please register here.
- Wednesday, October 4, 7 p.m. Eastern. Please register here.
- Waive Application Fee
- Waive Enrollment Fee
- Creating a landing page for AI students
- Art Institute of Atlanta website message should include the request for students to get their portfolio ready for consideration.
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
- Website: https://www.escoffier.edu/
- School will offer virtual information sessions on the following days
- Thursday 09/29 at 5 p.m. Central,
- Friday 09/30, Time TBD
- Waive Application Fee
- Online culinary through Boulder campus (ACCET accredited)
- On-ground culinary in Austin (COE accreditation)
Full Sail University
- Website: https://www.fullsail.edu/
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
- Website: https://www.rmcad.edu
- All programs except video production offered online
- Already has an invitation on their website for Ai students.
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Website: https://www.scad.edu/
Tweed Recording Audio Production School
- Website: www.tweedrecording.com
- 18-week, full-time Audio Production Certificate Program beginning in January 2024 in Athens, GA
- Scholarships available for eligible Art Institute students
- Contact us through the Ai student pop-up on our website or by emailing Admissions directly at [email protected]
Technical College System of Georgia
- For AI of Atlanta Students: https://aia.tcsg.edu/
Georgia Independent College Association Institutions
- Piedmont University, Demorest, Georgia: https://www.piedmont.edu/academics/
- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tMv5IWaHbNom1RGmnHHsgkbhkGfxJLiv/view?usp=sharing
- Virtual transfer information sessions being planned – contact [email protected] or [email protected] for days/times
- No Application Fee or Enrollment Fee
- BA in Art or BFA in Art with various concentrations
- BA in Film Production
- Degree completion program developed for Art Institute students.
- The Art Institute of Atlanta website will also include information for students
- Young Harris College: https://www.yhc.edu/academics/majors
- Bachelor of Art degree programs in Art and in Graphic Design (while online credits would likely be accepted, instruction is only available via in-person courses)
- Brenau University: https://www.brenau.edu/academics/fine-arts-humanities/
- Brenau University offers Bachelors of Fine Arts in Fashion Design, Interior Design and Studio Art as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Merchandising.
- Visit our Transfer Admissions page to find out more about transferring to Brenau.
- Reinhardt University: https://www.reinhardt.edu/academics/
- LaGrange College: https://www.lagrange.edu/index.html
- Contact Austin Wieland ([email protected]) for virtual transfer information sessions. Individual appointments with Art and Design Faculty can be scheduled.
- No Application Fee or Enrollment Fee
- BA in Art and Design with various concentrations:
- BA in Film and Media Arts:
- Online credit would likely be accepted, but instruction would take place in person.
Clayton State University
- View the Transfer and Next Wave information for Clayton State University. This website provides process resources and details, as well as lists “crosswalks” of programs offered by CSU that programmatically align with the prior academic offerings of the Art Institute.
- On the evening of October 5, 2023, CSU will be facilitating a second webinar that is focused on walking all Art Institutes students through their processes, offerings, and providing them space to ask questions. They have been in direct contact with academic leaders at the Art Institute of Atlanta to learn of all opportunities to remove barriers for continued academic progress of all AIA students.
You may also wish to research other institutions that offer similar programs:
- University System of Georgia: https://www.usg.edu/institutions/directories/core_transfer/
- Georgia Independent College Association: https://georgiacolleges.org/page/MemberInstitutions
- Directory of Institutions (GNPEC): https://gnpec.georgia.gov/directory-institutions
VETERANS:
Please visit this page to learn more about your options. Some benefit eligibility may be restored depending on the details of the closing and your circumstances. If you received VA benefits, you will need to contact the VA regarding the possibility of having benefits reinstated.
PRIVATE LOANS:
If you have private loans, you need to contact your loan servicers to determine their processes, if any, for requesting a loan adjustment or discharge.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please email GNPEC at [email protected].
This page will continue to be updated as information is received.