Virginia College

Virginia College was a private for-profit college located primarily in the southeastern United States. It offered classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions such as health sciences, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. It also offered online degree programs. After Virginia College failed to be accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training, and an appeal being rejected, approximately one-third of its campuses were expected to close by 2020, the company announced in September 2018. However, by early December of 2018 all of its campuses were closing, the company "citing financial challenges and accreditation issues as the reasons". History The original Virginia College campus was founded in 1983 in Roanoke, Virginia. In 1989, it was acquired by Education Futures, Inc. In February 1992, it opened its first branch campus in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Homewood. Another branch campus was opened in April 1993 in Huntsville, Alabama. Ownership The company that owns and operates the schools, Education Corporation of America, was a privately held corporation headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. ECA also owned Virginia College Online, which offered distance education academic programs via the Internet; Golf Academy of America; Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, offering degrees in the culinary arts; and Ecotech Institute, offering degrees in fields of renewable energy, sustainable design, and energy efficiency.