ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Pinellas Corporation (Pinellas), a for-profit school offering computer training courses in McLean and Richmond, and CEO and sole owner Paul Giordano, of Washington, D.C., agreed to pay $450,000 to settle allegations that Pinellas paid bonuses to consultants based on their success in securing enrollments of students receiving military veterans benefits.
Under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill), military veterans can receive tuition assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enroll as students at approved educational institutions. Their tuition assistance is paid directly to the educational institution. During the relevant period, education institutions could not be approved to enroll students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits “if the educational institution provides any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.”
The United States alleged that from 2015 through 2016, Pinellas d/b/a New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Richmond Virginia, and New Horizons Computer Learning Center Of Washington, D.C., at Giordano’s direction, paid bonuses to consultants who recruited students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill financial assistance based on their success in...
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