Nearly 200 students sue Kansas-based college

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Nearly 200 students have joined a lawsuit accusing Kansas-based Wright Career College of fraud.

The lawsuit against Mission Group Kansas Inc., a nonprofit company doing business as Wright Career College, was filed last year but recently amended to add 195 more students, the Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/1rpMCPF ). The current and former students attended Wright's campuses in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The lawsuit states Wright Career College enticed students to enroll and apply for student loans they can't pay back. It also claims Wright deceived students about attendance costs, employment prospects and the value of the school's accreditation.

The plaintiffs are seeking a refund of their tuition and unspecified punitive damages.

The school's attorney, Stacia G. Boden, called the allegations "absurd" and said her client would work to defend its 30-year reputation. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools and the Kansas Board of Regents have approved the school's programs, Boden said.

"The college has resources that it offers to all of its graduates to be successful," Boden said. "It has never promised nor guaranteed employment after graduation. A graduate's success depends in large part on the decisions they make and actions they take in their professional and personal lives."

Andrew Smith, the plaintiffs' lawyer, maintains Wright targets vulnerable, low-income students who want to improve their standing in life. He said school officials helped students apply for federal loans that cover their tuition costs, but that "students don't get what they bargained for."

"It's the perfect scheme," he said.