ITT

degrees in electronics technology, drafting and design, information technology, business, nursing and health sciences and criminal justice. The school had four other campuses across the state.

THEC said in a statement Tuesday it will assist students through the transition, including helping students obtain transcripts and providing information about comparable programs. Students with questions can call 615-741-5293 or visit tn.gov/thec.

“We are focused on pursuing every possible resource for these students,” executive director Mike Krause said, calling the situation “unprecedented.”

Chris Ezell, vice president of academic affairs for Southwest Tennessee Community College, said the college will do what it can to help ITT students, but may have to wait for direction from federal education officials.

“They’re not completely out in the cold,” Ezell said. “We can work with them.”

Transferring credits can be tricky, he said, because of different accrediting bodies for the different kinds of institutions. Ezell said the college may have to assess individual students and determine levels of credits accordingly.

“We’ve got to plan it out well so we really help the students so we don’t cause them further problems and stress,” he said.

About 200 ITT employees nationwide will help students obtain transcripts and apply to other schools, and the chain said it is seeking agreements with other schools that would help students transfer class credits.

Brian Jones, president of for-profit Strayer University, said Tuesday afternoon that Strayer does not have a plan to recruit displaced ITT students, but that it expects to see a substantial influx due to comparable programs at the two institutions.

“To the extent that we can be there for the students who are a good fit for us and offer them a lifeline, I’m delighted we can do that,” Jones said.

For Candice Brown, a 25-year-old student working toward a degree in cybersecurity at ITT, Tuesday’s news was both shocking and a bit of a relief. She’d taken out substantial loans to attend ITT that could now be forgiven as she attempts to transfer or start over.

The Southaven resident found her way to a Strayer campus in the Memphis area just hours after receiving the email notice of ITT’s closure.

“The best thing now is to be here,” she said.