Salter School is a
for-profit vocational school
A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...
in
Malden. It is operated as a component of the
Premier Education Group
The Premier Education Group (PEG) is a privately held company that operates for-profit vocational education institutions in the northeastern United States. Programs offered by PEG institutions vary by location, but include training in massage ther ...
. Salter School grew from the Salter Secretarial School established in Massachusetts in 1937. As its academic and business reputation grew, the Salter School moved locations and removed "secretarial" from the title in 1981. Salter School also introduced expanded career programs.
In 1984 and 1985, the Salter School established two accredited career training programs. In 1995, the Salter School added its
Medical Assistant
A medical assistant, also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the USA is an allied health professional who supports the work of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other health professionals, usually ...
program. In 2000, Medical Billing and Coding (Health Claims Specialist). It later added
Massage Therapy,
Paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...
and additional programs. Salter School also added new campuses and a sister college called
Salter College
Salter College was a for-profit junior college with locations in West Boylston and Chicopee, Massachusetts. It was owned by Premier Education Group.
History
Salter began as the Salter School in 1937, when Dorothy Salter opened a secretarial ...
. In the late 2010s, all of the campuses except the Malden campus closed following multiple million-dollar settlements related to allegations that the Premier Education Group misled students. A 2019 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General prohibits the school from enrolling students in Massachusetts and will close all of the remaining campuses by the end of 2019.
Controversies
In 2014, the
Massachusetts Attorney General
The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected Constitution of Massachusetts, constitutionally defined executive officer of the Government of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement offic ...
brought claims against the Salter School alleging deceptive enrollment tactics. An investigation by the state government found that Salter had engaged in dubious marketing tactics and false promises to lure students into its health-related training programs. Salter, together with its sister college Salter College, settled the claims in 2014 for $3.75 million.
Two years later, Premier Education Group settled a complaint filed by the Massachusetts Department of Professional Licensure alleging that the company "published misleading graduate job placement statistics, employed instructors whose qualifications had not been approved by DPL, and used misleading and high-pressure tactics in recruits new students." The company settled for $150,000 and its Tewksbury location was prevented from admitting students for six months but it did not admit wrongdoing.
In 2019, the company was again charged by the state Attorney General for misleading students. The company settled for $1.6 million, can no longer enroll students in Massachusetts, and will shut down its two remaining campuses by the end of the year.
Campus locations
*
Fall River, Massachusetts closed
*
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people.
History
Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on la ...
, closing by end of 2019
*
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
closed
*
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 31,342 as of the 2020 United States Census.
History
Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated on December 17, 1734, from Bille ...
closed
*
West Boylston
West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States and a northern suburb of Worcester. The population was 7,877 at the 2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the Wachu ...
, closing by end of 2019
Accreditation
Salter School is accredited by the
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is a non-profit education corporation that was recognized until 2021 by the United States Department of Education as an independent and autonomous national accrediting body.
...
(ACICS).
References
External links
Official website
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For-profit universities and colleges in the United States
Private universities and colleges in Massachusetts
1937 establishments in Massachusetts
Educational institutions established in 1937