Some students are pushing back against the Florida State College at Jacksonville, saying that they shouldn’t be the ones paying back loans the school wasn’t supposed to give out.

Randy Durden, a student enrolled in FSCJ’s culinary program, started an online petition to hold the college accountable for the $4.2 million in federal grants it wasn’t supposed to award.

As of this article, the petition has 136 signatures.

"It's hard, I don't have the money," Durden told our news partner Action News. "I struggle to pay my daily bills, much less a $1,600 bill from school."

Durden says the petition is to make the school stand up and take accountability for all their negligence.  He believes it’s the school’s debt, not his.

He and other students are beginning to see holds placed on their college accounts, meaning they won’t be able to enroll in classes, graduate or receive copies of their transcripts.  The college says it will lift the hold if a student repays the debt in full or makes payments for six to twelve months, depending on the amount owed.

The college has repaid the federal government for the Pell Grants, plus a $515,000 fine.

FSCJ says it’s giving students a 90-day grace period to set up a repayment plan.

Here are relevant excerpts from a school release last week pertaining to repayment:

Florida State College at Jacksonville Interim President, Dr. Will Holcombe, today approved a 90-day grace period for students affected by both the standards of academic progress (SAP) financial aid situation and the Veterans Affairs overpayment situation. 

In the context of past Board direction to minimize adverse impact on students, Dr. Holcombe has authorized the grace period for these students to allow for proper notification of debts and time to either resolve disputes or enter a repayment plan. During the grace period, normal restrictions on students with debt to the college will be waived for students whose debt is a result of the VA offset issue or the SAP appeal issue. 

Normal college rules place two restrictions on students with debt. Students with debt are blocked from future course registrations, and the college will not release transcripts or diplomas for students with debt.  At the March 12 Board Meeting, Dr. Holcombe will seek the Board’s authority to provide an exception to these restrictions on behalf of both groups of students, veterans and SAP appeals students. 

If the Board approves, students who enter a repayment plan (no interest and up to 10 year term) over the next 90 days will not face any restrictions as long as they make regular payments.  

Students will be informed to enter a repayment plan by calling Enterprise Recovery Systems, Inc. (ERS), the company we have contracted to manage this process, at 877-377-9818.