CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Judah Strickland is studying medical billing and coding online with Hussian College, and she started the term on May 22. “The first week, everything was good, everything was fine,” she said.
Then on June 1, Strickland received an odd phone call that the school had decided to give its students an unexpected break and that classes would resume on June 12. But on June 11, the day before classes were to resume, Strickland, got an email addressed “Dear Hussian College Student” that said Hussian, formerly Daymar, is shutting down most of its programs.
The email says, “The college has determined that it cannot continue to operate most of its programs. As such, no classes will resume on June 12th, 2023, as originally planned, except as identified below.” The email was signed by CEO Joshua Figuli.
The email said Hussian is working to find alternative institutions for their students to be able to complete their education. Hussian said in the email that it would provide updates regularly.
State confirms closure
Hussian has not made any public announcements about its closure – neither on the Hussian College website nor on its social media channels – and they have not returned multiple messages from Clarksville Now. There is no indication on the doors of the school at 2691 Trenton Road that they have closed, except for an outdated sign stating they were on break until June 12. Weeds are growing from cracks in the parking lot, and the grass is overgrown.
However, notice of the closure of Hussian has been confirmed by the state. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission has a website announcement stating: “Hussian College announced on June 12, 2023, that it cannot continue to operate except to complete instruction for students in the internship or clinical portions of their programs. Thereafter, it is expected that the institution will wind down and eventually cease all operations.”
In addition to Clarksville, Hussian has Tennessee campuses in Murfreesboro and Nashville. Nationwide, Hussian has campuses in Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; and Van Nuys, California, plus online programs, according to their website.
What students should do
Hussian said it has set up an email for students to reach out to at transitionportal@hussiancollege.edu to help with transferring credits, finding a program, and discovering the financial impact for students to continue their program.
Strickland told Clarksville Now the college has already taken her tuition money, leading her further into debt. She said she’s now wary of working with the school on any transition.
THEC said Hussian students should still have access to their student portal. “We recommend that you review your information and download or print your student ledger, unofficial transcript, and any information you believe is important to your future education, such as syllabi and student handbooks,” THEC said.
THEC’s Hussian announcement online has additional resources for students who have federal loans and for veterans using education benefits.
Chris Smith contributed to this report.
