Nebraska-based Bellevue University is being sued by the state’s attorney general for making false claims related to the accreditation of its nursing program.
Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson announced on Monday that his office filed a compliant in the District Court of Sarpy County, alleging the school of making “false, deceptive, and/or misleading statements” to students on the accreditation status of its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
“Although it is not a requirement that nursing programs be accredited to confer baccalaureate degrees, an unaccredited BSN is significantly less valuable than a BSN from a college or university with an accredited nursing program,” the office of the attorney general’s statement reads.
The complaint states that 179 students participated in the program between 2012 and March 2017, leading many to take on student debt. It also alleges the university of confusing prospective students by utilizing deceptive marketing techniques and making misleading representations.
“The decision to invest in a college education is one with lifelong financial implications. Consumers are entitled to, and the law demands they be provided, accurate information when making these decisions,” Attorney General Peterson said.
“With today’s filing, we remind all educational institutions that they will be held accountable for the representations they make to current and prospective students.”
The University, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and plans to defend itself in court.
“The RN to BSN program at Bellevue University is accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 2001, 202-887-6791, and that specialized accreditation was effective as of October 2017,” the university statement reads. “Bellevue University categorically denies the allegations that we misled or would mislead any student.”
Last year, multiple DeVry University students sued the school for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) and fraud. The case alleged the for-profit giant of engaging in deceptive marketing practices to lure prospective students by severely inflating the success rate of job placements and earnings of graduates through an aggressive marketing scheme grounded on “deceptive” data and “flawed” methodologies.