94 students stripped of degrees after finding out school wasn't accredited

Ont. students told their education is not valid Over 90 ultrasound technician students in Ontario are unable to work in their field after being told they would have to restart the program.

Ontario is in dire need of health-care workers, but more than 90 students who graduated from a private college program to be ultrasound technologists have been told they won’t be allowed to get jobs in their chosen field.

"It's very painful for all the students. We tried our best to be sonographers, but all of a sudden everything changed," said Najmah Hashmine, an Etobicoke student who took the program.

Another student, Roya Shahrullah, who also took the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at Canadian All Care College said it was her dream to work in the health-care field.

“I wanted to become a health-care worker. I wanted to serve society," said Shahrullah.

Ninety-four students took the program at Canadian All Care College, a private college, which has two campuses, one in Scarborough and one in North York.

After the students graduated last year in March they were shocked to find out the program had not been accredited, meaning they can't take the Canada Sonography Exam, which also means they can't be hired as ultrasound technologists.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities told CTV News Toronto, “Accreditation Canada determined in November 2022 that Canadian All Care College’s Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Program did not meet the professional standards set by the College of Medical Radiation and Imaging Technologists of Ontario (CMRITO) and revoked CACC’s status.”

“The Superintendent of Private Career Colleges then followed Accreditation Canada’s lead to revoke the Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Program at Canadian All Care College as the program no longer met the conditions of program approval.”

“Since then, the Ministry has been engaged with CACC to make sure that all students were notified on recommended next steps including seeking refunds the students are entitled to, finding new institutions to continue their training, and providing documentation. A majority of students have requested and received their refunds and the ministry is engaged with CACC as that work continues.”

The college did provide refunds to all students for their tuition and some other expenses, but some students say they had other costs and also feel like they have wasted two years of time.

"Everything we did it's not worth it. We have to start all over again. They say we have to go to another college and pay money again and start our studies again," said Shahrullah.

"Two years of study in college. Two years of transportation, just wasted,” said Hashmine.

CTV News Toronto contacted Canadian All Care College and the president of the school, Miajan Aryan, said it was an unfortunate situation as the college had been trying to do whatever was necessary to become accredited.

“My heart goes out to all the students. All our staff are also frustrated and we are not happy about this incident," said Aryan.

Aryan said the school had been following all ministry directives to get accredited and were working with officials to make sure the program was up to the standards required.

“We hired qualified instructors, we have all the equipment needed, we invested millions into the program, we have fourteen ultrasound machines and they're not cheap," said Aryan.

Aryan said that Canadian All Care College has been in business 20 years and has 15 other programs and nothing like this has ever happened before.

Aryan said the process of being accredited was affected by delays caused by the pandemic and he is hopeful that students who took the program will still find a way to work in the ultrasound field.

Aryan said he is also hopeful the sonography program can be accredited in the future.

But for now students who took the program worry they will have to start their schooling all over again.

“How hard it is to finish a two year sonography course and now it’s like it’s worth nothing," said Hashmine.

Shahrullah added, “This thing that happened to us shouldn’t have happened."