American Career Institute Closes Unexpectedly

FRAMINGHAM (CBS) - Hundreds of students working their way towards getting a job were dealt an unexpected blow when American Career Institute suddenly closed.

"They came into our classrooms and asked us to leave," said Jamie Lee O'Rourke. "They didn't give us a reason, they pretty much just told us we had to go home."

The students WBZ talked to in Framingham were training to be medical assistants.

"I was going to school to better myself," says O'Rourke.

O'Rourke and her classmates found out the American Career Institute were closing all of their schools in Massachusetts and Maryland on Wednesday.

On the front door a note said in part:

"ACI was forced to come to this decision due to a sudden inability to access additional credit."

And it went on to say "ACI remains committed to its student body."

Students WBZ talked to Wednesday say so far that's not true.

"I came here to become a medical assistant and I was halfway, I'm almost done and now the doors are locked," said Nicole DiDonato.

For DiDonato, she's out her diploma and money.

The nine month program cost $15,000, most of that is taxpayer money in the form of a Pell Grant. In fact, all the students we talked to got those grants.

When one administrator pulled into the lot in his BMW he had no interest in talking to the students or to WBZ.

"I actually don't know what to do now," says O'Rourke.