Dade Medical College students demand answers after college closes

No reason given for closure of 6 campuses

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Medical students and their teachers were shocked to find out last week that their college is closing. On Monday, more than 100 students from Dade Medical College held a protest in Coral Gables, where they demanded answers.

All of them want to know why the college suddenly closed its doors and are concerned, because many of them already paid for classes and they don't know how they are going to get that money back or their transcripts.

The protesters marched through the streets of downtown Coral Gables. Many of them held signs, while others chanted.

Employees and students were notified about the closure Friday evening in an email sent from the college's founder, Ernesto Perez.

Dade Medical College is a for-profit school that specializes in training nurses and other health care workers. The college has closed all six of its campuses.

Perez did not mention the reason for the closure, but thanked all of the students.

A representative with the Florida Department of Education said that it is working with the college to place students in other schools in the area that have similar programs.

"They steal your money and they take off," student Marlena Santos said. "I don't know. No answers. No why…when they were planning on doing this. Why they did it at all."

Protesters told Local 10 News that they were heading to Sen. Bill Nelson's office, in hopes that something could be done for them.

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