Nursing students from Dade Medical College rallied in Coral Gables Monday in front of the school's headquarters.
The school announced on Oct. 30 that it would be closing its doors for good by the end of the day, effective immediately.
"We are really speechless. Our dreams are falling apart. I would love to continue my career, if not here, somewhere else but our dreams right now are falling apart," said Bella Batlle, nursing student.
Students like Batlle wonder what's next. On Friday, students and staff received an email from the head of the school, Ernesto Perez, expressing sadness over the decision and notifying them that further information would come about where and how to continue their training.
Perez told NBC 6 on Monday that his lenders had made costly changes to the school's financing and between that and some cost overruns for new construction, and all the legal fees added up to several million dollars and that simply put the college in financial straights.
The students were hoping to see Perez directly.
"We're here to tell this guy to come outside to talk to us. We need to know what we are going to do, what's going to happen with our futures after two years in this school," said Roxana Conception, nursing student.
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The school had about 2,000 students and 400 staff members at several campus locations. Instructors indicated they had not been paid in full.
Students are checking their emails frequently for any official word on what their next steps should be. Some like Conception had invested thousands.
"Close to $50,000. I am on three weeks to finish. I am on the Capstone class. I had my final test on Nov. 19," she said.
"I'm upset because I am in my externship. I was at a hospital, a clinic and now I'm pulled out. I have nothing to do. I dedicated all my time to school and now I have nothing," said Filia Christenson, ultrasound program student in Homestead.
The school had six campuses from South Florida to Jacksonville. But the school was under scrutiny over its finances and the poor performance of its students on certification exams.
The Florida Department of Education is working with students to place them at other schools that offer similar programs.
Students said they have been directed to report Tuesday to Management Resource College a variety of times and the school was going to accept their credits. Perez said they're making sure the students' time and money would not be wasted.
