All Marinello school locations close amid fraud accusations

The Marinello Schools of Beauty announced Thursday they are closing all 56 of their campuses as a result of the loss of federal funding.

Marinello will close CT locations in Hamden, Meriden, East Hartford, Fairfield, Niantic and Willimantic.

The announcement comes three days after the Education Department ended participation in federal student financial aid programs for 23 of the private school’s campuses – including 14 in Los Angeles, two in Burbank and two in Moreno Valley, citing “serious violations”.

Prior to completely shutting off funding at some of Marinello’s campuses, the Department had placed the school on Heightened Cash Monitoring 2, a designation which means that the school would have to pay out financial aid to students from its own funds and then be reimbursed by the Department of Education. “We are working closely with our state educational agencies, our accrediting commission, and well-respected schools to provide a smooth transition for our students so they are able to complete their education and achieve the life they have worked so hard for”. “Unfortunately, the Department of Education’s unprecedented and unfounded actions left us with no other option except to close our schools”.

The Chairman of the Marinello Schools of Beauty says they will be hosting meetings on campus next week to obtain all of the necessary paperwork, as well as lots of information to help students understand how they can continue their education either through their partnerships with other schools or through another channel.

The DOE has alleged that Marinello was knowingly requesting federal aid for students based on invalid high school diplomas, under-awarding federal Title IV aid to students, charging students for excessive overtime and engaging in other acts of misrepresentation.

“I feel like a motherless child”, said student Desiree Morris. One student telling us she is afraid of losing her hours.

Marinello Schools of Beauty says its closing all of its schools and essentially shutting down immediately.

More than 350 Nevada cosmetology students are impacted by the closure. “She’s out money and out a career”. The chain also has locations in California, Kansas, Utah and Nevada.

“We never got a real meeting”.

Sen. Chris Murphy called Marinello “the latest case of fradulent, for-profit school systems lying to their students and hanging them out dry”. “They didn’t know what to do”. CSI is charged with reporting false job placement rates, not just to students but to the Department of Education and accreditors.

Jesus Garcia of Rialto said he saw almost 40 students crying and hugging outside Marinello’s Ontario campus on Thursday.