Address at the Time of Closure

800 East 101st Terrace, Suite 100
Kansas City, Missouri 64131

Closure Date

April 28, 2006

School Ownership/
Governance

Kansas City College was a branch campus of Metropolitan College located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both schools were owned by Wyandotte Collegiate Systems, which is based in Oklahoma. At the time the Kansas City school closed, the corporation continued to operate schools in New Mexico and Oklahoma. Another school owned by this corporation, located in Arizona, closed on May 5, 2006. As of September 1, 2006, all schools operated by Wyandotte Collegiate Systems have closed.

Corporate Contact Information

Kimberley Harnar
Wyandotte Collegiate Systems, Inc.
305 North Main
P.O. Box 414
Wyandotte, Oklahoma 74370
918-678-6079

Accrediting Commission Contact

Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(703) 247-4212
http://www.accsct.org

Schools Assisting Paralegal Students

National American University
3620 South Arrowhead Avenue
Independence, Missouri
816-353-4554
http://www.national.edu

Brown Mackie College
9705 Lenexa Drive
Lenexa, Kansas
913-768-1900
http://www.brownmackie.edu

Schools Assisting Court Reporting Students

The College of Court Reporting
(Associate degree, distance education program only)
219-942-1459
http://www.ccr.edu

Court Reporting Institute of Kansas City
(Non-degree)
6900 Foxridge, Suite B
Mission, Kansas 66202
913-432-3315
http://www.crikc.com

Location of Student Records

All records are currently in the possession of the corporate offices of the school. Students can receive copies of their transcripts and related documents by making a request to the corporate contact information listed above. While the email address metrokcc@metropolitancollege.edu was originally provided to the department, we cannot verify if this address remains active. Regardless of the method you use, be sure to include your name, student number, name of program and start date in your request.

Financial Assistance Information

Because the Kansas City school was a branch of a school in New Mexico, questions about the financial aid programs at the school should be directed to the Region VI office of the United States Department of Education in Dallas, Texas. Telephone: 214-661-9490.

Some limited information may also be available from the Region VII office in Kansas City at 816-268-0410

Other Resources

Department of Education Ombudsman for Student Financial Assistance:
http://ombudsman.ed.gov or http://fsahelp.ed.gov
Email: fsaombudsmanoffice@ed.gov

Department of Higher Education website:
http://www.dhe.mo.gov

United States Department of Education website: http://studentaid.ed.gov

National Court Reporters Association websites:
A listing of all NCRA approved court reporting programs nationwide, including those that are online.
http://www.ncraonline.org/education/schools/index.shtml

Information on how to sign up for NCRAs online mentoring program, linking students with professional reporters.
http://www.ncraonline.org/vmp/studentquestions.htm

Was the school operating illegally?

This question refers to reports that the school's corporate status was not valid based on its failure to file required annual reports with the Missouri Secretary of State. While it is factual the corporation had been dissolved, that was based on the corporate name, Kansas City College of Legal Studies, Inc. However, for several years, the school has not operated under that name as it had revised its official name to Kansas City College. The school reported to this department it was operating under the corporate structure of Wyandotte Collegiate Systems, which is incorporated in the state of Oklahoma. Consequently, we do not believe the lapse of the corporate status of Kansas City College of Legal Studies in Missouri is a material issue in the school's legality.

The school has been certified to operate by the Missouri Department of Higher Education continuously from 1985 until its closure. Certification to operate establishes the legal basis of an entity to offer postsecondary education in the state of Missouri. As a result, the education delivered and the degrees and certificates awarded by the school are considered legal and academically valid in this state.

What are the options for completing my education?

For students in the paralegal program, options are available for you to complete your program with a minimum disruption. You should contact the schools listed above for more information and to schedule an interview.

For students in the court reporting program, options are available although there are still a number of unresolved issues. You should contact the schools listed above to determine if their programs are right for you. The two schools listed offer programs that prepare graduates for employment as court reporters but which use a different delivery format and result in a different completion award. Unfortunately, there are no court reporting programs that closely match the Kansas City College program in the Kansas City area and few, if any, bachelor degree level programs in the United States.

What is the status of my student loan?

The Missouri Department of Higher Education has no authority relating to the student loans delivered to students at Kansas City College. However, we are providing the following information to assist you in locating additional assistance in this area.

In general, even though the school is closed, you still have to repay your student loans. Such loans are essentially agreements between you and the federal government and the obligation remains even if the school is gone. However, depending on your situation, there may be options to ease or eliminate that burden. In some limited instances, you may even be eligible for loan forgiveness. You should use the finaicial assistance information listed above and/or contact the student loan guarantee agency that is handling your loans for additional information regarding these options.

An open letter from the National Court Reporters Association

I am sorry to hear the news that your court reporting school has been closed. As a court reporter myself, I know the long hours of hard work and the invetstment of time and money that you have made in your education. We at the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) are deeply concerned about you and desire to do whatever we can to help you transition into a new court reporting program to finish your education and successfully transition into the profession. Toward that goal, I encourage you to visit the NCRA web pages listed above for information that may be of help to you.

The court reporting profession needs you. Please don't let this setback deter you from pursuing one of the most rewarding careers available.

Merilyn Marquardt-Sanchez, NCRA President