The letters were sent to Webster students incorrectly from the Department of Education.
Some students and parents were alarmed to receive a letter this past week from the Department of Education. The letter contained a “Loan Discharge Application: School Closing” form for Webster University. Luckily, the letters were sent incorrectly to Webster University students and parents.
Typically, loan discharge applications for school closures are for student borrowers who attended a school that closed while they were attending or withdrew within 120 days of the school closure. The nature of the email alarmed some students.
Webster University responded quickly to the Department of Education’s miscommunication.
“Webster University is not closing. This form was sent in error to people in the Webster community by the U.S. Department of Education … The University is working with the Department of Education to correct the issue,” the university stated in a Feb. 22 email to students.
The email also instructed students and parents who received the form to “dispose of it and take no further action.”
According to Webster University’s director of Public Relations, Patrick Giblin, the issue “was not caused by anything in Webster University’s system.”
“We learned of the problem when a dozen students and alumni called our offices reporting that they had received the notices,” Giblin said. “We do not know how many people received these notices.”
Giblin stressed “there is no cause for concern,” in relation to the university’s future.
Students with questions or concerns may contact the Financial Aid Office via phone at 314-968-6992 or 1-800-983-4623. The Financial Aid Office may also be reached via email at financialaid@webster.edu.
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