Calgary’s ABM College under provincial audit; student loan access cut

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The Alberta authorities has revoked ABM Faculty’s rights to pupil loans after an audit uncovered what the province known as “poor practices and weak controls” on the Calgary establishment.

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The province restricted entry to the provision of pupil assist on Jan. 31 whereas it investigates the scenario, in keeping with the workplace of Superior Schooling Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.

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“A 3rd-party audit discovered poor practices and weak inside controls. We’re wanting into this additional to verify the college has entry to the quantity of tuition they have been entitled to from pupil assist,” mentioned Nicolaides’ press secretary, Sam Blackett.

He mentioned the personal school stays licensed to ship programming and that courses are ongoing, and college students can nonetheless apply for programming whereas the method continues.

“College students will solely be restricted from making use of for brand new pupil assist funding on the establishment whereas the problems are resolved. We are going to proceed to look into this concern and restore entry to pupil assist as soon as we have now extra data that confirms they’ve acceptable inside practices and controls in place,” Blackett mentioned.

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Provincial officers declined to reveal what prompted the audit, or any particular monetary issues.

Former staff raised questions

In keeping with its web site, ABM Faculty gives applications in well being, enterprise and know-how, in addition to a CPR and first assist coaching course. The school was based in 2011 by dr. Mohammad Baten based and has campuses in Toronto and Calgary.

Former ABM staff have raised questions in regards to the school’s previous practices, together with that funding was supplied to candidates who weren’t enrolled.

Postmedia requested ABM about these allegations and the province’s newest audit.

In an announcement, Baten mentioned the faculty has “supplied all requested documentation and can proceed to cooperate with the Alberta authorities throughout our audit.”

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Staff discovered issues about pupil mortgage system

One former worker, who labored in numerous roles at ABM over the span of a decade, mentioned that bullying amongst employees and administration made it troublesome and fruitless to boost consciousness of the problems they noticed.

The worker, who finally resigned, mentioned they first recognized issues in regards to the faculty’s pupil mortgage system when Pupil Support Alberta contacted them about a person who had been denied a mortgage as a result of excellent pupil loans from ABM. The scholar claimed that he by no means attended the faculty.

“(They) weren’t in our system, they by no means went to ABM however had pupil loans to the college below their identify. . . That is after we began taking a look at names and we discovered over 100 who have been accredited for loans however by no means attended,” the worker mentioned, estimating the mortgage quantities at between $5,000 and $8,000 per pupil.

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One other former ABM worker turned involved about operations when the faculty’s chief monetary officer resigned “as a result of she did not wish to put her identify on paperwork that weren’t true,” they mentioned.

A former teacher at ABM mentioned the faculty struggled financially in the course of the pandemic and claimed there have been discussions about bringing again the minimal variety of employees wanted to entry authorities grants and funding.

The federal pupil assist workplace was not instantly out there for remark and didn’t verify whether or not it’s conducting its personal audit or whether or not federal pupil mortgage entry is proscribed to ABM Faculty college students.

ocondon@postmedia.com