North Alabama students affected by the closing of ITT Technical Institute may be able to transfer some credits to Athens State University, officials announced Thursday.

A press release said while the school is “constrained by guidelines” that limit its ability to transfer credits from all institutions, it would review ITT students’ transcripts and course descriptions to examine the possibility of transfer to Athens State programs.

Athens State University offers more than 50 majors and options in more than 100 areas of study.

“Athens State University is saddened to learn of the closing this week of ITT Technical Institute and the adverse impact this has on students attending the school,” the release said. “The University is committed to assisting students wishing to transfer to Athens State to complete their education.”

For more information, students should call 256-233-8100 or visit www.athens.edu.

The News Courier asked an official with Calhoun Community College if the school was considering a similar plan, but did not receive a response by deadline Thursday.

Reason for the closure

The for-profit ITT announced Tuesday it would close all 130 of its campuses, citing recent sanctions by the U.S. Department of Education. The closest campus to Athens was the Madison branch, located at 9238 Madison Blvd. in Madison.

In a letter to more than 35,000 students, the Indiana-based parent company ITT Educational Services announced that campuses won’t open for the fall term that was scheduled to begin Sept. 12 — leaving students scrambling for last-minute options since many U.S. colleges already have started fall classes. ITT also cut more than 8,000 jobs immediately.

The chain was banned Aug. 25 from enrolling new students who used federal financial aid, because, Education Department officials said, the company had become a risk to students and taxpayers. The department also ordered ITT to pay $152 million within 30 days to help cover student refunds and other liabilities if the chain closed.

Days before those sanctions were announced, ITT’s accreditor reported the chain had failed to meet several basic standards and was unlikely to comply in the future. It had also been investigated by state and federal authorities who accused ITT of pushing students into risky loans and of misleading students about the quality of programs.

One of the biggest for-profit chains in the nation, ITT had been closely monitored by federal officials since 2014, when the chain was late to submit an annual report of its finances to the government.

Students who were enrolled at ITT within the last 120 days can apply to have their federal student loans erased by the Education Department. That’s an estimated $500 million worth of loans, a cost that would be covered by taxpayers and $90 million in insurance that ITT previously paid the department.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.