State tuition recovery funds (STRFs) can be a valuable source of relief if you are the victim of a fraudulent school, you have not been able to get relief directly from the school, and you are not eligible for a school-related discharge. STRFs contain deposits of money collected from schools approved to operate in the state. The funds are disbursed to victimized students under specified conditions.

Many states have either a STRF or a bond program to reimburse defrauded students. States with STRFs tend to have two different funds–one for degree-granting institutions, and one for schools that offer non-degree-granting vocational programs.

The following is a fairly current list (as of 2006) of states which have STRFs, including contact information. There may be some states that have funds that are not listed here. Be sure and contact your state consumer agency for more information:

Arizona: Student Tuition Recovery Fund, Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, 1401 W. Washington, Room 260, Phoenix, AZ 85007. (602) 542-5709.

Arkansas: State Board of Higher Education, 114 E. Capital, Little Rock, Ark. 72201. (501) 371-2000.

California: Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, California Department of Consumer Affairs, Student Tuition Recovery Fund, 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S202, Sacramento, CA 95834. (916) 574-7720.

Connecticut: Department of Higher Education, 61 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105.

Delaware: Department of Education, 401 Federal St., P.O. Box 1402, Dover, DE 19903-1402. (302) 739-4601.

Florida: Florida Student Protection Fund, Florida Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education, 944 Turlington Bldg., 325 W. Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399.

Georgia: Tuition Guaranteed Trust Fund, 2189 N. Lake Pkwy, Bldg. 10, Suite 100, Tucker, GA 30084. (770) 414-3300, Non-Public Post Secondary Commission, 2100 E. Exchange Pl. #203, Tucker, GA 30303. (770) 414-3302.

Idaho: Student Tuition Recovery Account, Board of Education, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720. (208) 334-2270.

Kentucky: Student Protection Fund, State Board for Proprietary Education, P.O. Box 1360, Frankfort, KY 40602. (502) 564-3296, x227.

Louisiana: Student Protection Fund, P.O. Box 94064, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4064.

Maryland: Guaranty Student Tuition Fund, Maryland Higher Education Commission, 839 Bestgate Rd., Suite 400, Annapolis, MD 21401. (410) 260-4500.

Massachusetts: Board of Cosmetology, 239 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114. (617) 727-3067. Board of Higher Education, One Ashburton Pl, Suite 1401, Boston, MA 02108. (617) 727-7785. Private Postsecondary Schools, 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148.

Nebraska: Department of Education, 310 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509. (402) 471-2295.

Nevada: Student Indemnification Account, Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education, 1820 East Sahara Ave., Suite 111, Las Vegas, NV 89104. (702) 486-7330.

New Mexico: Post-Secondary Educational Institution Fund, Higher Education Department, 1068 Cerrillos Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87505. (505) 476-6500.

New York: Tuition Reimbursement Account, 116 W. 32d St., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10001. (212) 643-4760.

Ohio: Student Tuition Recovery Fund, Student Tuition Recovery Authority, c/o State Board of Career Colleges and Schools, 35 East Gay St., Suite 403, Columbus, OH 43215. (614) 446-2752.

Oklahoma: Board of Private Vocational Schools, 2200 North Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. (405) 521-2225.

Oregon: Tuition Protection Fund, Education Department, 255 Capital Street, NE, Salem, OR 97310-0203. (503) 378-3600. www.ode.state.or.us.

Tennessee: Tuition Guarantee Fund, 404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 1900, Nashville, TN 37243. (615) 741-5293.

Texas: Tuition Trust Account, Texas Workforce Commission, Career Schools and Colleges, 101 East 15th St., Austin, TX 78778. (512) 936-3100.

Vermont: Career and Lifelong Learning Department, 120 State St., Montpelier, VT 05620. (802) 828-5139. Vermont State Board of Cosmetology, 109 State St., Montpelier, VT 05609. (802) 828-2373.

Virginia: Student Tuition Recovery Fund, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218. (804) 225-2848.

Washington: Tuition Recovery Trust Fund, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, 128 10th Ave., S.W., P.O. Box 43105, Olympia, WA 98504-3105. (360) 753-5662.