Charlotte School of Law loses federal student aid over dishonest practices

The embattled Charlotte School of Law, already scrambling to get off of probation, was staggered Monday by a government announcement that could cost the school tens of millions of dollars in student aid.

The Department of Education says it will end federal assistance to the Charlotte student body as of Dec. 31. Much of the money would have come as tuition loans – a devastating loss to a school that has branded itself as a gateway to the legal profession for nontraditional law students.

It’s not clear how many of the for-profit school’s 700 or so students (down from a high of about 1,400) depend on federal aid to meet tuition and expenses estimated at about $60,000 a year. Last year, Charlotte School of Law enrolled about 950 students who received about $48.5 million in federal aid, most of it in student loans.

Starting next semester, hundreds of students must find some other way of staying in school. CSL has until Jan. 3 to dispute the government’s findings. The school is operated by the Infilaw chain, which also has for-profit law schools in Arizona and Florida.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article121768063.html